15 Million Reasons To Make You Smile
WHCM to Receive $15 Million Gift to Expand its Collection and Build State-of-the-Art Facility
On April 27th, 2024, the museum officially announced a gift, in excess of $15 million from Trustee Charles N. Grichar - a collection of The finest Willard clocks and Howard astronomical regulators in existence, all of which will double the museum’s collection.
In addition, the collection will be housed in the Charles N. Grichar Center - a new state-of-the-art facility that will substantially expand the museum’s footprint and offer a new compliment of horological support services.
to make this remarkable gift a reality, the museum must meet a capital campaign goal of $6 million.
Good news! we need your help to raise only $1.37 million by the end of 2028.
The museum is working with its Trustees, benefactors and foundations to meet its financial commitment. Since the announcement, we have raised over $4.6 million in donations, pledges and land sales against our 2028 goal of $6 million - but we need your help. There are many ways to donate - from checks and credit card and donor advised fund gifts to stock transfers and IRA Qualified Charitable Deductions, your contribution has a direct and lasting impact on the museum.
Questions? Feel free to call us at 508-839-3500 or write us at info@willardhouse.org.
The willard family - THE CENTER OF EARLY AMERICAN CLOCKMAKING
Benjamin Willard began making clocks in his small, rural Massachusetts workshop in North Grafton, in 1766. His three younger brothers, Simon, Ephraim, and Aaron, quickly learned the trade and began a three-generation clockmaking legacy.
Today, over 90 Willard clocks are exhibited in the birthplace and original workshop of the Willard clockmakers, along with family portraits, furnishings, and other Willard family heirlooms. Works by all three generations of Willard clockmakers, including famed clockmakers Simon Willard Jr. and Benjamin Franklin Willard, are also displayed.
Take a step back in time and witness a unique and important part of America's technological, artistic, and entrepreneurial history with us.
Plan your visit
For information and directions, please look through our About pages. If you have any questions, please call the museum at 508.839.3500. We look forward to seeing you.
Featured Object
Eagle finial
John Doggett (1778-1860) or his shop, Roxbury, Massachusetts, Eagle finial. Carved wood, gilded with gold leaf. John Doggett was a cabinetmaker in Roxbury, MA know most for frames and looking glasses. There is a known association with Simon, Aaron, and Aaron Willard Jr. based on Doggett's two surviving daybooks. He was the nephew of another Boston area cabinetmaker in Dorchester, Stephen Badlam, whom he trained under. Willard House has three timepieces with Doggett eagles as well as one of his daybooks, previously featured.
FEATURED BOOK
Musical Clocks of Early America, 1730-1830
by Gary R. Sullivan and Kate Van Winkle Keller
The 130 remarkable clocks documented in this ten year study represent a high point in the careers of American craftsmen between 1730 and 1830. The story includes biographies of 180 craftsmen and traces apprenticeships and style connections from maker to maker. Over 500 color images bring the clocks to life. Schematic charts are followed by an in-depth analysis of every known musical clock movement and case. The narrative reflects a genuine appreciation for the remarkable achievement that these musical movements and their dramatic cases represent. They are true American masterpieces.
WHCM is pleased to partner with the following organizations
The Dietrich American Foundation was established in 1963 by H. Richard Dietrich, Jr. (1938–2007) to collect, research and document historically important examples of American decorative and fine arts, primarily of the eighteenth century.
Founded in 1866, the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) is one of the oldest continuously operating horological associations in the world. Today, HSNY is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of horology through education.