Old City Hall Restoration Committee

08/30/2026

PCM Theatre coming back in October to Old City Hall!

08/22/2026

Are you ready for the succession?
Old City Hall’s Seth Thomas clock & bell tower.
It’s time.

Old City Hall - Bordentown City, NJ. 1889

Volume on please!

https://www.oldcityhall-bordentowncitynj.com/

08/14/2026

𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧!

For generations, the Seth Thomas clock in the tower of Bordentown’s Old City Hall has been part of this historic building and our city streetscape.

Now, the Old City Hall Restoration Committee is taking the next steps toward bringing the clock back to working order.

Restoring a historic clock is a specialized undertaking. The Old City Hall Restoration Committee is working toward an agreement with a professional horologist — a specialist in the repair and restoration of historic clocks.

We are also very pleased to share that two very talented women of Bordentown City have stepped forward to independently organize and sponsor a fundraising event on Thursday, September 24, with net proceeds benefiting the Old City Hall Seth Thomas Clock Tower Restoration Project.

We are incredibly appreciative of their willingness to take on this effort and support the restoration of an important piece of Old City Hall history.

We will be sharing all the details from the event sponsors — including ticket information and what they have planned for the evening — very shortly.

For now, we wanted you to see what’s inside the tower — and what we’re working to get ticking again.

Visit our website: https://www.oldcityhall-bordentowncitynj.com/

The Voices of Bordentown

07/29/2026

As preparations began for the inspection of the Seth Thomas clock, one question remained unanswered:

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤’𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝?

https://www.oldcityhall-bordentowncitynj.com/seththomas

From the attic, we knew the weights traveled within a shaft, but there had to be an access point on one of the lower floors. After all, servicing hundreds of pounds of weights high in the attic would have been impractical.

The challenge became a fascinating bit of detective work for our volunteers as we searched to determine where the shaft was hidden—and behind which wall.

Rather than opening walls based on our best guess, we waited until the day of the inspection and asked the clock restoration expert to evaluate our theory. He agreed with our assessment, and together we carefully opened a small section of the wall. Flashlights in hand, we peered inside.

Success! We had located the shaft containing the clock’s 60’ of rope, pulleys, and weights. The shaft is located in the Fireside room of Old City Hall.

To preserve this remarkable piece of the building’s history, the opening will remain accessible.

A new platform will be constructed to support the weights whenever maintenance is required.

Our vision is to finish the opening with a framed glass door or decorative gate, allowing visitors to safely view the interior. Interpretive signage and a plaque will explain how the Seth Thomas clock operated and highlight the significance of this newly revealed feature.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

To learn more about the Seth Thomas Clock and Old City Hall in Bordentown City visit our website: https://www.oldcityhall-bordentowncitynj.com/

07/18/2026

Seldom seen and rarely thought about, the rear of Old City Hall tells its own story.

The small, high windows once belonged to the building’s remaining jail cells, a reminder of their original purpose.

As the exterior coating continues to come down, it is revealing the original brickwork laid in 1888.

07/18/2026

We’re excited to introduce the new Old City Hall Restoration Committee website!

This is more than a website—it’s a living archive dedicated to the history, preservation, and future of Bordentown City’s historic Old City Hall.

Whether you’re interested in the building’s history, current restoration projects, upcoming and past events, the iconic 1888 Seth Thomas Clock Tower, or ways to support our efforts, we invite you to explore and visit often.

New content, photographs, stories, event information, and restoration updates will continue to be added as our volunteers research, document, and share the rich history of Old City Hall.

Old City Hall has been part of our community for generations. We hope this website helps preserve its story while inspiring its next chapter.

We’d love to hear what you think!

https://www.oldcityhall-bordentowncitynj.com/

Welcome to Historic Old City HallPreserving Bordentown City’s Past. Inspiring Its Future. Old City Hall is a landmark where history, community and preservation come together through events, education and restoration. A Little Time Can Make a Big DifferenceOld City Hall is cared for and supported b...

07/04/2026

Sharing a post from Christ Church taking part in the bell ringing this afternoon.

Christ Church and its historic cemetery are closely connected to Bordentown’s Revolutionary-era history. While not many signers of the Declaration are buried there, several important figures associated with the nation’s founding are.

Among the most notable are:

* Joseph Hopkinson – Buried in the churchyard. He was the son of Francis Hopkinson, wrote the patriotic song Hail, Columbia, served in Congress, and later became a federal judge.

Members of the Francis Hopkinson family are also buried there, although Francis Hopkinson himself is not.

There are also many graves of early Bordentown families—including the Bordens, Bonapartes, and other prominent citizens who shaped the town during and after the Revolutionary period.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CJh7UpxtC/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July!! Get your bells ready!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 I don'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥?
Ring with us in spirit! Throw open a window or take a walk to a neighborhood bell tower to take in the sounds of the celebrations. National Bell Festival also will be releasing a free app for iPhone and Android that brings the bell tower right to your fingertips!

https://www.bells.org/blog/bell-ringing-guidelines-americas-250th

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞?
Of course! Help us spread the good vibrations by following on your favorite social media. Be sure to post your bell ringing or the sounds from your local tower and tag us, too!