Historic Highlight

Clock Farm, Kennebunkport

Clock Farm

Historic Highlight

At the intersection of Route 9 and Goose Rocks Road in Kennebunkport, time, quite literally, stands still. The Roman numeraled faces on the clock tower that gave the connected farmhouse here its name have read 6:30 for years — a fitting tribute to the home’s onetime owner, who had a history of imprecise timing. Thomas Emmons purchased the 1773 Greek Revival dwelling in 1892. The owner of Emmons Loom Harness Company in Lawrence, Massachusetts, he had installed a large clock on the roof of his factory that reportedly kept such bad time, it caused unrest among his laborers, who argued that it skewed their working hours. Emmons agreed to transport the clock to his summer home in Maine, but before it was mounted, he decided to purchase a new model. That clock remains in its perch, broadcasting the correct time precisely two times per day.

Portland-based writer Julie Senk holds degrees in history and historic preservation and provides property surveys and architectural analyses to homeowners and businesses. To learn more about her work, visit northernvernacular.com.