Downtown officially gets a new landmark this afternoon: a 17-foot clock tower that is located on the corner of North Boulevard and St. Louis Street, just outside the entrance of the new 19th Judicial District Courthouse.
The clock is a gift from the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Baton Rouge Bar Association, and is intended to be a special and lasting gift to the city honoring the shared heritage of the city and the BRBA.
The clock has actually been in the works for more than a decade. The BRBA first conceived the idea 11 years ago, when it was celebrating its 75th anniversary. The group’s foundation held an anniversary block party and auction, raising more than $25,000 for a special gift for downtown Baton Rouge. But deciding what kind of gift to make then working around years of construction on the new courthouse building and Town Square delayed the process.
“We wanted to wait until the courthouse was constructed then once it was constructed we wanted to wait on the Town Square, so it snowballed but, really, now that everything is complete the timing couldn’t have been better,” says BRBA Executive Director Ann Gregorie. “A clock is special because it’s significant to everyone and it’s lasting.”
The clock—which sits atop four aluminum posts and melds a contemporary design with a traditional face— was designed by local architect Raymond G. “Skipper” Post and manufactured by Electric Time Co. of Medfield, Massachusetts. The dedication will be held at 3:30 p.m. today in Town Square. The event will be moved to the jury room inside the courthouse if it rains.
—Stephanie Riegel
