Martin Pattison purchased the Grandfather Clock from Spaulding Clock Co of Chicago, Ill. at the Chicago World's Expo of 1893. It was shipped to Fairlawn Mansion and was one of Martin's most prized possessions. After Martin died in 1918, the clock moved to Southern California with Martin's widow, Grace E. Pattison. In 1933 Grace passed and left the clock to their eldest child and only son Byron. Byron came into financial difficulty. At some point thereafter, his sister, Lois Pattison Cowen loaned Byron a sum of money which was to be repaid by a particular time. When it was long past due, Lois asked him for repayment on numerous occasions. After getting no response, she finally gave her brother an ultimatum, "pay off the loan or give me the clock." So he gave her the clock. The receipt which references the settling of the debt has been in the bottom of the clock ever since. A copy of it still resides there. Lois then had the clock shipped to her home in Los Angeles California where she lived with her husband, Thomas Cowen Sr. and her son Thomas (TAC) Cowen Jr., Martin's grandson.
When Lois died, she left the clock to her only son, TAC where he brought it into his family home in Northridge, Calif. During TAC's possession the clock travelled from Southern California to Illinois and back to California. When TAC passed in 1984, he left the clock to his wife, Phyllis Ann Cowen. About a year later, she gave it to their only son Thomas (Sandy) Cowen III. The clock was then moved to South Lake Tahoe where Sandy and his family were living. It is still the property of Sandy Cowen, the great grandson of Martin Pattison. Since 1986 the clock has been moved to St Louis, New Jersey, back to St Louis and now full circle back to Fairlawn Mansion where it is currently on loan to the Museum.
The clock is still fully functioning and has been since its original purchase in 1893 although it has lost some mercury during its travels. The vial simply resides a little lower on the pendulum in order to maintain the clock's accuracy. It is a seven-day movement, strikes on the quarter hour and hour on stainless steel pipes and plays either Westminster or Whittington chimes. Its moon phase dial has two hand painted scenes, a mountain and a lakescape.
