Millheim residents launch effort to save clock tower. ‘Important part of this town’s history’

Millheim’s town clock has looked out over the borough for well over a century, but as the landmark faces further disrepair, a group of residents have decided to take action to save it.

The clock, which hasn’t worked for decades, has been standing at its 117 Penn St. home — the location of Penns Valley’s Calvary Church and formerly the St. Luke’s Methodist Church — for about 140 years. But the tower it resides in is now in danger of no longer being able to support the mechanism’s weight.

A group of borough residents, spearheaded by Millheim Borough Council member and Valley Business Alliance President Robert Zeigler, are holding a fundraiser from on March 16 at the American Legion Post 444 to raise money for the repairs.

“We needed to do something, and waiting for someone to solve the problem for us wouldn’t cut it, so we had to move forward with (the fundraiser) to kick-start our goal to restore the clock tower,” Millheim resident Eunice Troxell wrote in a press release.

While the mission to save the clock tower is one of historical importance for Zeigler and those looking to help restore it, the borough councilman has personal ties with the restoration too.

Zeigler said he once promised late Millheim resident Carl Rote that he would look into fixing the clock tower. After he died, Zeigler promised Rote’s wife that he would do his best to fulfill her late husband’s wish.

When residents began looking into the restoration process, one of the initial hurdles they faced was determining who actually owned the clock and its tower.

After doing some document digging, it was determined that each part had a different owner — the church owns, and is in charge of fixing, the tower, while the borough owns the clock mechanism itself, and will be in charge of fixing it when the time comes.

Still, the borough, the church and borough residents have come together to fix a landmark that’s one of the highest points in Millheim, where many historical photos were taken from.

“I think we need a lot more of community building and strengthening in our communities, and this event is literally a perfect example of that ... ” Zeigler said of the March 16 fundraiser. “That clock tower is undoubtedly an important part of this town’s history, and to see a lot of people coming out on the 16th to help save it would be amazing.”

While the total cost to repair the clock tower has not yet been determined, Zeigler hopes that the donations will help them reach the project’s initial goal of $30,000.

“It’s definitely no small sum of money, so we’re hoping that the news of this fundraiser reaches a bunch of other communities too, not just Millheim ... ” Zeigler said. “Those funds will give us some good seed money for the project, and then we can use that money as leverage to try and get some more funding through grants and such.”

Some of the events that will take place at the fundraiser include a meet and greet, a performance by the Miss Melanie Duo, a St. Patrick’s Day-themed meal, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction and activities for children, with all proceeds going to the restoration.

Each fundraiser participant can donate to the clock tower restoration project, with the recommended donation being $10.

The event will be held from 1-4 p.m. March 16 at the American Legion Post 444, 112 Legion Lane, Millheim. For more information, email welovethevalley@gmail.com.