by Kate Evans
Berkeley Springs is now home to a phenomenal museum filled with rare, one-of-a-kind clocks and timepieces from all over the world. The majority of the clocks were built from 1690 through the early 1900s.
The Almost Heaven Antique Clock Shop and Museum is the creation of owner James Carter, who has collected and repaired clocks for around 50 years.
The clock shop and museum is located at 1771 Valley Road in the former event center across from the Dairy Queen. It had its grand opening in late November.
History
Carter grew up in a small family-owned jewelry store in Maryland and began repairing clocks when he was very young. He learned from his father, who was a clockmaker and a watchmaker.
At age 22, Carter graduated from Bowman Technical Institute in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with a degree in watch and clock making. After two years of study, he was required to complete an 8-year apprenticeship before becoming a master clock maker. Carter moved here around 20 years ago from Maryland.
Carter said he works on all types of mechanical clocks, specializing in tall case and grandfather clocks. He does in-house service calls to people’s homes to repair their old grandfather clocks. Sometimes he can fix the grandfather clock on the spot. Often he removes the moving parts and brings them back to his shop to work on them and returns to fix the clock.
Carter has a repair department at his shop and museum where he often works in the window repairing clocks. Carter repairs clocks and also makes clocks. He said often you can’t buy parts for antique clocks — you have to make them.
His clock collection
Carter developed a fascination with clocks at a very young age and has been collecting antique clocks for his own personal collection all of his life. When his collection grew to where it filled his home, Carter started looking for a place to rent that was large enough to showcase his clock collection as a museum.
It took many years to find a large enough space. Bill and Mary Cafferty had an Antiques and Uniques shop in the event center and Carter had a small area of it for his antique clock shop. When the McCafferty’s decided to retire, Carter took over renting their space for his museum and shop.
One of six clock museums
There are five other clock museums in the United States. Carter’s museum is the sixth clock museum. He noted that the variety in his collection is amazing and that he has some of the best clocks in the world to share.
Carter has a “Blinking Eyes” room of automaton clocks that have moving parts, people and eyes and another room of beautifully carved German cuckoo clocks. He also has a number of exquisite grandfather clocks lining several walls.
One of Carter’s favorite antique clocks is a French clock from 1870 that has three real taxidermied birds that move. One bird flies around on the branches, another drinks water from a water fountain while another bird watches from on top.
A rolling ball clock made in 1808 has a ball that rolls from side to side in exactly 30 seconds, hits a switch that shifts the shelf up and down and sends the ball rolling back to the other side in 30 seconds. That’s how the clock keeps time mechanically, he said.
“It’s quite unique,” Carter said. The engineering involved in some of these timepieces is amazing, he said.
Clocks for sale
Carter has a whole section –around 100-150 clocks – that are for sale. He has hundreds of clocks in his collection. Each one is unique with no duplicates.
“Every clock has a history and a story. I just enjoy researching them,” Carter said.
Carter has people that check estate sales and auctions for him for antique clocks.
“I get a lot of clocks that way,” he said.
Many of his clocks come from Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York.
“Almost Heaven Clock Shop and Museum prides itself on having one of the best and most unique clocks for sale on the east coast,” Carter said.
A dream fulfilled
Carter’s future plans are to continue to buy clocks and expand his antique clock collection and space to share his clocks with the community and the world.
Carter said he loves clocks and enjoys that he gets paid to do what he likes to do.
“I have been able to fulfill my lifelong dream of opening a museum featuring all the clocks in my personal collection. It is my way of sharing my passion and hopefully renewing an interest in clocks. I hope to show people the variety, artistry, and creativity involved in making these magnificent clocks,” Carter said.
Hours
The Almost Heaven Antique Clock Shop and Museum is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. There is no charge for admission and all clock estimates are free. The museum depends on donations to cover expenses and expand the collection, Carter said.
Call Carter at 443-841-6212 for more information or check out the clock shop and museum’s Facebook page.
