Historic Clock Outside Crow Island School Restored

WINNETKA, IL - The hands on the historic clock at Crow Island School in Winnetka are moving again after years of not working.

“(The clock) is an iconic part of the design of the building,” said Crow Island Principal Dr. Julie Pfeffer. “It’s really nice for the community to see it working again.”

A stewardship committee, the PTO, the director of buildings and grounds and Pfeffer worked with Massachusetts company Electric Time on not only getting the clock to work again, but to ensure it would be done so in its original design.

“The stewardship committee was instrumental in keeping us informed on the National Historic Landmark status of the building and keeping it in line with its original design,” said Pfeffer.

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The idea to restore the clock to working order came about when discussion began about how to use funds raised for the school’s 75th anniversary.

Shannon Preda, who was the PTO president when the effort began during the 2014-15 school year, said the clock repair “came to the top of the list” when discussing potential projects.

"It's right there at the front of the school, so we figured we should start right there," Preda said.

“The minute hand broke on the clock several years ago, so for awhile it appeared that the minute hand was actually the hour hand,” she added. “We thought that if a community has a historically significant clock like we have, that clock should be working.”

Work on the clock was completed over the summer and was installed just before this school year began in August. The entire project cost $6,000, all of which was paid for by funds raised by the PTO for the 75th anniversary.

The historic clock is now poised to make it another 25 years and eventually become another 100-year fixture of Winnetka. It was working for decades until it underwent a renovation in 1990 and stopped operating shortly after.

Now that it’s back up and running, it will add to the second grade lesson plan in which students study the local history behind Winnetka and Crow Island.

It will also serve in its original purpose, "letting students know if they are on time or running late," Pfeffer said.

“The nicest part was to see a good team effort in embarking on such a unique project."

photo courtesy of Winnetka School District 36