One Of The World's Largest Clocks Is Visible From Downtown Louisville, Kentucky
By Sarah McCosham|Published March 20, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Did you know you could see one of the world’s largest clocks… in Kentucky? It’s true! Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Colgate Clock measures in at 40 feet in diameter with clock hands weighing over 500 pounds each; and while this world record holder is technically located in Clarksville, Indiana, it’s visible from downtown Louisville, Kentucky.
This is one of the largest clocks in the world, and it's visible from Louisville, Kentucky.
While the world record-breaking timepiece isn't actually located in Kentucky, it *is* visible from the Bluegrass State's largest city. Allow us to explain.
A riverfront town through and through, the Ohio River both divides and connects Louisville, Kentucky, with Jeffersonville, Indiana.
The two towns are connected by the Big Four Bridge, a Kentucky icon and inextricable part of the Louisville skyline. The bridge crosses the Ohio River connecting Waterfront Park in Louisville to Jeffersonville, Indiana, and it's not the only "big" thing about this area...
...not by a long shot! This is the Colgate Clock, located at a former Colgate-Palmolive factory in Clarksville, Indiana -- and, with a diameter of 40 feet, it's one of the largest clocks in the world.
Before the building was occupied by Colgate, it served as the Indiana Reformatory South. It opened in 1847, but in 1919, a fire broke out that caused extensive and expensive damage. Instead of paying for repairs, the prison was relocated, and Colgate jumped on the opportunity to occupy the now-empty space.
Indiana State Prison inmates helped with the conversion from prison to soap-making plant, and even stayed in cells at the location while the conversion took place.
The help was necessary, as erecting such a massive clock required lots of manpower! Just kidding -- the clock was actually designed by Colgate engineer Warren Day and constructed by the Seth Thomas Clock Company for the centennial of the Colgate Company in 1906. It was installed at Colgate-Palmolive facilities in New Jersey and later relocated to Indiana.
Visible from downtown Louisville, today the clock is a striking spectacle that has undoubtedly kept Indiana and Kentucky residents diligently on schedule!
Did you know about this incredible clock just a stone’s throw from Louisville, Kentucky? While the Colgate Clock isn’t technically in Kentucky, it’s nonetheless a unique addition to the Louisville skyline — which has lots of larger-than-life attractions of its own!
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