Thomaston, Connecticut: A Town Built on Time
Thomaston’s history is inseparable from the story of Seth Thomas and American clockmaking. What began as Plymouth Hollow grew into a thriving manufacturing community shaped in large part by the success of the Seth Thomas Clock Company. The connection became so enduring that in 1875 the town was incorporated as Thomaston, honoring the clockmaker whose name had become known around the world.
“Thomaston, Connecticut: A Town Built on Time” is a collection of six oil paintings celebrating the historic places that tell that story. From the Seth Thomas Clock Movement Factory and the Seth Thomas-Bradstreet House to the railroad station, Opera House, historic towers and town green, each painting preserves a glimpse of the community that developed alongside Thomaston’s clockmaking heritage.
Some of these landmarks are directly connected to Seth Thomas and his family; others reflect the transportation, civic, cultural and everyday life of the town that grew around the industry. Together, they tell a larger story—not simply of clocks, but of the people, architecture and community shaped by a remarkable period in Connecticut history.
For those who know Thomaston, these scenes may bring back familiar memories. For collectors of Seth Thomas clocks and American horological history, I hope they offer another glimpse into the place behind the name—a small Connecticut town whose identity was, quite literally, built on time.