News : A clock of a slightly different color

The east-facing clock glass is original; the other three use a whiter-colored acryllic.

Workers prepare to connect mechanisms of the four clock face to the main unit Friday.

Those who drive around the Benton County Courthouse, looking closely at the four faces of the restored clock, may have noticed something unique about the glass facing east.

That glass is a different color than the other three sides; it's more grey while the others are white.

During a recent Benton County Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Terry Hertle explained why. One of the state officials involved in administering the historic preservation grant that helped fund the project requested that the county try to preserve the glass that originally provided the background for the clock faces. But because many of those pieces were cracked, broken or completely missing, and because that glass would be virtually impossible to find (and expensive to buy if it were available), county leaders decided to take available glass from the four sides and combine it into one circle.

The greyish tempered glass looks similar, but when compared side-by-side, its darker color is visible.

Work expected to take until next week

The crews from the Smith company in Indiana planned to return home for the weekend then come back to Vinton next week to finish the clock, said maintenance director Rick Bramow.

On Friday, two workers were busy installing the several pieces that connect the arms that move the four sets of hands to the the clock. Bramow said that while workers had mentioned possibly testing the clock on Friday, they would return next week to finish the project.