Abbot Hall is a town hall and historical museum located at 188 Washington Street, Marblehead, Massachusetts

Marblehead, Massachusetts

Marblehead is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,808 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and Devereux Beach...

. It is open year-round, though with restricted hours in the colder months.

In addition to serving as the seat of Marblehead’s town government, Abbot Hall contains the original of the widely-reproduced Spirit of '76 painting by Archibald MacNeal Willard

Archibald MacNeal Willard

Archibald MacNeal Willard was an American painter who was born and raised in Bedford, Ohio.Willard joined the 86th Ohio Infantry in 1863 and fought in the American Civil War. During this time he painted several scenes from the war, and forged a friendship with photographer James F. Ryder...

, the deed to Marblehead from the Nanapashemet tribe of Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 (dated 1684), a bust of native son and U.S. Vice-President Elbridge Gerry, a painting of Marbleheaders rowing Washington across the Delaware, a painting by primitivist J.O.J. Frost and a number of other historical artifacts.

Clock

The clock in the tower of Abbot Hall is a Howard #2S installed in 1877 and is governed by a 10 ft (3 m) pendulum escapement, driven by an 86 lb (39 kg) weight. The clangor escapement is governed by a flutter vane assembly and is powered by a 292 lb (132.4 kg) weight. The Bell was cast by Meneely & Kimberly in Troy, New York

Troy, New York

Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...

. Every week the maintenance workers ascend the tower to wind the movements. There are many stories about the clock from local authors.