Clarksville, Indiana: Colgate Clock - 2nd Largest Timepiece in the World

The clock is easily viewed from the parking lot in front of the building. It is impressive, but did not appear to be functional when we visited. Still worth the quick trip across the bridge from Louisville.

The Colgate sign is gone, but the building and clock remain. It appears the developers made some improvements to the building (new windows, etc.) with the hope of leasing it to one or more tenants, although it still looks partly vacant.

The clock appears to be well maintained and in great shape. The neon lighting built into the clock is all working and it displays the correct time.

Time is running out for this historic icon. Colgate-Palmolive Plant and Clock has been on the Indiana Historic Landmarks Foundations 10 Most [Endangered?] list since 2006. The site has been sold to developers and the plant will be shut down this year (2008).

The clock has been atop the circa 1890 building since 1924, is 40 feet across and ranks among one of the largest clocks in the world.

I've viewed it from the Kentucky side of the Ohio river and it is an awesome site to see not only because of its size, but that it still functions! How many town's clock towers do not?

On a "big things" photography trip to Louisville, Kentucky, I snapped this photo of the clock on the Colgate Palmolive factory in Jeffersonville, Indiana. It's the second largest timepiece in the world (the largest is the Colgate clock on the factory in New Jersey) and is bigger than Big Ben. It measures over 40 feet in diameter and the hands on the clock are 16 and 20 1/2 feet long. It's lit by red neon at night and can be seen over a mile away.