Ephraim Willard of Boston, Massachusetts. A inlaid mahogany case tall clock. TT-109.
This is a fine example that exhibits excellent narrow proportions. The mahogany wood selected for the construction of this case is nicely figured and varies in coloration. The cabinet is alive.
This late example is elevated on an applied base. Four flared French-style feet splay out from under the base. These smoothly transition into the single-drop apron. A light line of inlaid wood is positioned on the top, just below the molding. The form is excellent. At the front of the case, follow the interior line as it transitions from one foot, bumping slightly at a small spur, then off to form the subtly shaped drop apron, and along to the next foot. This is a lovely detail. A light line inlay runs across the bracket molding before it steps back to the base. The base panel is framed with a cross-banded pattern of darker wood. This is framed with delicate, light wood inlay. The panel is well-formed and positioned vertically.
The transition from the base to the waist section features a flared molding. This middle section is long and relatively narrow, accentuating the pleasing form of the case. The rectangular-shaped waist door exhibits an excellent grain pattern. It is fitted with applied molding along its perimeter. This door is also lined with an inlay in a design that conforms to the door shape. The sides of this case are fitted with fluted quarter columns that are stopped with brass and terminating in brass quarter capitals.
The waist section supports the hood section with a traditionally formed flared throat molding. This bonnet features a traditional pierced and open lacy fretwork design and is surmounted with three brass finials. Each of the finials is mounted on fluted plinths. The bonnet door is an arched form and is fitted with glass. The two smoothly turned and brass stop-fluted bonnet columns are positioned on either side of this door. They are free-standing and mounted into brass capitals. They provide the illusion of supporting the upper bonnet molding. Tombstone-shaped sidelights are fitted into the sides of the bonnet. Each of these is fitted with glass, providing a view of the mechanism.
The eight-day time-and-strike movement is brass and of fine quality. It is designed to strike the hour. It strikes the hour on a cast-iron bell that is mounted above the movement. This clock is weight-powered and wound with a key.
The iron dial is colorfully painted. Floral patterns decorate each of the four spandrel areas of this dial. The artwork in the lunette is very well done. An urn is centrally depicted in a window framed by curtains. Applied gesso beading and gilt work decorate the scene. This dial displays the time in a traditional format, with large Roman-style numerals marking the hours. Arabic numerals are positioned at the five-minute marker locations. A subsidiary seconds dial is located below the Roman hour numeral XII, and the calendar date is indicated below the center arbor. This dial is signed by the maker just below the calendar aperture. It reads “E. WILLARD / WARRANTED. / BOSTON.”
This clock was made while Ephraim lived in Boston before moving to New York. This would date to about 1804 and may have been one of the last clocks he made based on the styling of this case. It stands approximately 7 feet 11.5 inches tall to the top of the finial. It is approximately 19.5 inches wide and 9 inches deep.
Inventory number TT-109.
Ephraim Willard was born in Grafton, Massachusetts, on March 18, 1755, during a period of significant change in colonial America. His parents, Benjamin Willard and Sarah (Brooks) Willard, had 12 children; four of them became clockmakers, reflecting the era’s growing demand for skilled artisans in the colonies. Little is known about Ephraim’s early life in Grafton, but he likely learned clockmaking from his older brothers, Benjamin (1743–1803) and Simon (1753–1848), at a time when the craft was central to local economies and technological advancement. Simon Willard would become America’s most prominent clockmaker, shaping the emerging identity of American craftsmanship. Ephraim also practiced clockmaking, probably working closely with Simon and their younger brother, Aaron (1757–1844), as the family contributed to New England’s reputation for fine timepieces.
Ephraim’s life intersected with major events in early American history. According to the History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1704 to 1876, including Grafton until 1735; Millbury until 1813; and parts of Northbridge, Upton, and Auburn, Simon was hired by Joseph Rockwell to build a machine for cutting and shaping the teeth of a carding machine, an example of how New England artisans adapted to the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution. Records also show that Ephraim marched with his brothers in response to the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775, serving during the opening days of the American Revolution. This direct involvement in the war highlights the Willard family’s commitment to the colonial cause.
In 1777, Ephraim moved to Medford, Massachusetts, where he was listed as a clock and watchmaker. By 1784, a lawsuit identified him as a trader living in Boston, reflecting the mobility and economic challenges many artisans faced following the Revolution. From 1795 to 1801, Roxbury tax records list him as a resident of Roxbury. In 1801, he bought land and a house on Sheaf’s Lane in Boston; the deed described him as a "Merchant." Over the next two years, he faced financial difficulties and was described as a clockmaker. In 1804, Boston tax records list him as a clockmaker on Elliot Street. In 1805, Ephraim moved to New York City, where he was occasionally recorded as a watchmaker until 1832. Like his brother Benjamin, Ephraim moved frequently, a testament to the shifting landscape of post-Revolutionary America and the challenges of maintaining a trade. He produced far fewer clocks than his three brothers, and only a small number of tall clocks bearing his signature are known to exist. Notably, the cases for his clocks range from simple and understated to examples considered among the finest made by Boston-area cabinetmakers, reflecting both the evolving tastes of the period and the influence of a changing nation.
