The time in North Carolina is:

The Hillsborough Clock

Did you know that the clock in the Hillsborough Courthouse is almost two hundred and thirty-four years old? It has been in the Hillsborough Courthouse for almost one hundred and fifty-four years!

It is also one of the most interesting clocks in the whole United States of America!

It was made in Birmingham, England in the year 1766. It is thought to be just like the clock that was in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and it was brought from England at about the same time. One interesting fact is that the Philadelphia clock was replaced in 1835 by an American made clock, but the clock in Hillsborough is still almost totally the same as it was when it was sent from England. The clock was a gift from George the third. George the third was the King of England at that time.

The clock was first placed in the old St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hillsborough. Once they found out that the church's clock tower was dangerous, they moved the Hillsborough clock to the Hillsborough Market-House. The Market-Houses, back then had three arches that horses and carriages could go through. They were centers for trade and housed county offices. The clock stayed in the Hillsborough Market-House for forty-two years which is unusual because most market houses were so poorly built that they usually did not stand that long. Then it was put in storage for twenty years.

During the storage years, a new Courthouse was built on the Market Square property in the center of Hillsborough. Finally in early 1846, it was moved into the Hillsborough Courthouse. It has been there ever since that time.

Many colorful stories have been spread about the clock. One is that it was taken out of it's tower and hidden in the nearby Eno River during the Revolution so it would not be destroyed by either side. This story seems to be based totally on fiction, but even so, our Hillsborough clock has had a very interesting life!

This is submitted from Nina Trembley's third grade class.