Willard House and Clock Museum

Willard House and Clock Museum Step back in time and see where clockmaking began in Central Massachusetts. The Willard Clock Museum https://linktr.ee/Wh.cm

06/03/2026

A little something special for this

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"Hall of the Mountain King" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Why Museums Matter To Us? One In A Series of Museum Facts.Willard House & Clock Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit holds a s...
06/02/2026

Why Museums Matter To Us? One In A Series of Museum Facts.

Willard House & Clock Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit holds a special place in history. The Willards were the precursor to the American Industrial Revolution.

Your donations, no matter what size, ensures that this place will be available to the public for decades to come.

Consider making a gift to Willard House & Clock Museum this summer.

Your gift is tax-deductible and you can donate here: https://ow.ly/qPxh50RxEme.

!It is the first of the month! According to English superstition, one's first words on the first of the month must be ...
06/01/2026

!

It is the first of the month! According to English superstition, one's first words on the first of the month must be "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" to ensure good luck for the rest of the month. Today is also so the SECOND words out of your mouth should be complimentary!

Visit WHCM: https://ow.ly/hazf50RHiuo

Most people refer to this clock as a "grandfather clock." In period advertisements and receipts from the Willards and ot...
05/30/2026

Most people refer to this clock as a "grandfather clock." In period advertisements and receipts from the Willards and other clockmakers of the late 18th century, they are called "8-day clocks" or "tall clocks". How did such a change in nomenclature occur? Simply, two words: pop culture.

In 1876, Henry Clay Work wrote the song My Grandfather's Clock and it became huge success. The song was so popular that people called timepieces like the titular clock "grandfather clocks"!

May 28th, 1799 was a bad day for Benjamin Willard - this document from our archives is an order to throw the clockmaker ...
05/28/2026

May 28th, 1799 was a bad day for Benjamin Willard - this document from our archives is an order to throw the clockmaker in debtor's prison until he could pay off the $29.81 he owed to Peter Proctor of Warwick, NH.

Discover other important WHCM documents: http://ow.ly/E72E50Otcbe

Let us remember those who have died in military service to this colony/country from the earliest wars to the latest. The...
05/25/2026

Let us remember those who have died in military service to this colony/country from the earliest wars to the latest. These include many Willard relatives like Zabdiel's brother-in-law, Robert Ware. Thank you.

Visit WHCM: http://ow.ly/yaPS50OxWgZ

On it is hard not to think about the unusual number of brothers our clockmakers had. Obviously they had each other, bu...
05/24/2026

On it is hard not to think about the unusual number of brothers our clockmakers had. Obviously they had each other, but there were FIVE additional brothers in that family.

Thank you, Gaudette Insurance Agency, for you generous support of our Guest Lecture Series featuring Dr. Malcolm Purinto...
05/23/2026

Thank you, Gaudette Insurance Agency, for you generous support of our Guest Lecture Series featuring Dr. Malcolm Purinton's "One for the Revolutionary Road: Taverns and Beer in the American Revolution” and the 3rd Annual Grafton Beerfest, brought to the museum by Rushford & Sons Brewhouse.

In a museum devoted to horology and the measurement of time, these gatherings remind us that some of history’s most meaningful moments have always been shared over conversation, community, and craft. We are grateful for your partnership in helping us keep time-honored traditions alive.

On we celebrate those that served on military ships, like Aaron Willard's son George, as well as those who braved the ...
05/22/2026

On we celebrate those that served on military ships, like Aaron Willard's son George, as well as those who braved the waters for commercial reasons.

that Simon Willard Jr. became known for the sale and repair of ? Invented in England in 1735 by John Harrison, these allowed for accurate longitudinal measurement while at sea. They were very important for mariners of all sorts.

Though our collections pre-date the use of the word, it does not mean memos did not exist. On we share original instr...
05/21/2026

Though our collections pre-date the use of the word, it does not mean memos did not exist. On we share original instructions for setting up a Patent Timepiece.
I'm so glad he reminded me to put something in the wall to hang it from first! That could have been a disaster!

Address

11 Willard Street
Grafton, MA
01536

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10:30am - 11:30am
2pm - 3pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 11:30am
2pm - 3pm
Thursday 10:30am - 11:30am
2pm - 3pm
Friday 10:30am - 11:30am
2pm - 3pm
Saturday 10:30am - 11:30am
2pm - 3pm

Telephone

+15088393500

Website

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