Rotary Club of Dover

Picturesque downtown Dover is about to get even more charming with the installation of a 16-foot, four-face post clock on the southeast quadrant of the square at Wooster Avenue and Third Street, a location chosen by Mayor Richard Homrighausen. The clock colors will be consistent with the vintage-style light posts that currently exist in the downtown area. Four 36-inch clock faces will be illuminated at night.

The initiative is a Rotary project led by Jim Gill, the club’s president. “We wanted to do something that would be a victory for downtown,” Gill said. “With this project we can partner with other civic organizations, and that is important to us.”

Rotary and other community partners are raising funds for the clock, which has a $26,000 price tag. A $10,000 grant was submitted to the Reeves Foundation, and Gill is hopeful it will be approved. Rotary and the Canal Dover Association have committed $2,500 each. 

“We have asked the city for an additional $5,000 and have reached out to the Lions Club as well,” Gill said. 

Gill will speak to the Exchange Club in the coming weeks with the hopes they too will support the community project.

Proceeds from the second annual Chocolate Walk, a Canal Dover Association initiative scheduled for May 20 from 5-8 p.m. in downtown Dover, will go toward the clock. 

“If the event is as successful as last year, we expect to raise $4,000-$5,000,” Gill said. 

Tickets for the event go on sale April 1 with more details to follow in the coming weeks.

“The Canal Dover Association agreed to sponsor the clock project because we saw the benefits it would bring to downtown Dover,” said Howard Dugger, president of the CDA. “I always like it when I go to other small towns and there is a clock like this. It adds a focal point. We also were glad this was something we could do quickly with the help of other civic groups.”

Individuals and groups who are interested in sponsorship can call Gill at the Dover Public Library at 330-343-6123. Fundraising will continue through June 1. Gill anticipates the clock can be installed this summer with the assistance of the city.

The clock is similar to one in downtown Massillon in front of the Massillon Museum on Lincoln Way East. Manufactured by the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, the family-owned company has been in business since 1842, creating fine cast bronze bells, carillons, electronic digital bells, tower clocks, street clocks and streetscape furnishings for six generations. 

“We are happy to be able to work with an Ohio company for this project,” Gill said.

Gill believes the clock will become a focal point for downtown Dover, which has been thriving in recent years as unique family-owned businesses have found success. 

“I love small towns with a clock downtown,” Gill said. “It’s the sort of thing you put on a post card. The city can use it to encourage tourism to the area. We believe residents and visitors will enjoy this addition to downtown Dover.”