ALAMOSA — On a brilliant Thursday afternoon, the face of downtown Alamosa was forever altered with the installation of the Velhagen clock, named for the two brothers who, in the early 1900s, came to Alamosa in search of their fortune and opened a fine jewelry store that was frequented by countless patrons over the years.
The clock, which stood at a dignified height of 16 feet outside their store for decades, kept impeccable time over the years until “progress” dealt a blow. With plans to widen State Avenue, the extraordinary reminder of a time when workmanship was the supreme mark of excellence was destined for the trash heap.
Over a number of years with the last three marked by fierce determination to finish the job and do it right, the Velhagen clock was restored to its former glory and located in its rightful place, less than a block from its original location.
From this point on, the clock will be in view of all who travel in and out of Alamosa.
The Velhagen, one of only nine remaining in the world, stands as a testament to the devotion of one man – John Davis whose long time love for the clock inspired him to, singlehandedly, save it from being lost forever.
Davis, a brilliant machinist who had grown up seeing the clock every day as a boy, dreamed of restoring the clock himself but, tragically, his health failed before that was possible.
Upon his death, the clock took on new meaning as an entire community of people took it upon themselves to finish the journey Davis had begun, an act done in homage to an extraordinary piece of functional art and in remembrance of the man who loved it so dearly.
“The clock was a dream of my dad’s for many years,” says Deborah Davis Shawcroft. “His health got the best of him and he couldn’t finish what he and JR started. So, JR kept the dream alive with help from many beautiful people.
“When we started the pendulum yesterday and the clock’s heartbeat took over, I was overjoyed and so happy that the dream became a reality.
“Thank you so tall who made it possible. My dad is smiling form above.”
“If it wasn’t for John Davis, this clock would not be here,” says J.R. Olson. “If it wasn’t for his John Davis’ children, this clock would not be here. If it wasn’t for an entire community of volunteers, this clock would not be here.
“If you were to take this clock to the Antique Road Show, it would be appraised at being worth $100,000. If you were to buy insurance, it would probably be worth $200,000. But to the people of Alamosa, it’s priceless.
“My deepest thanks go out to all the good people who worked so hard and were so generous in bringing the clock back to life.”
Mayor Ty Coleman, who was Master of Ceremonies for the event, said, “This was installed by the Van Velhagen brothers in 1912 in front of the jewelry store. The clock was built by the famous Seth Thomas clock company. Originally, about 200 of these clocks were built, and today, less than ten remain… the clock returns to its rightful home in downtown Alamosa. The project would not have been possible without the dedicated help of community members, and the local businesses which donated their time and material, craftsmanship.”
Beata Ramza, a Planning Technician with the Development Services Department who was responsible for obtaining grant money and painting the clock, said, “I was lucky. I got to paint the clock, and that was super fun. I’m very excited to be here and see this.”
Heather Sanchez, city manager of Alamosa, says, “This is an amazing project, the type of project that makes you proud of the community we live in. The volunteers, the family legacy, everyone coming together to make this a reality. This is the type of project that makes you proud to live in a small town in America.”
