Trussville clock — Trussville’s Rotary Clock. (Patience Itson / Bham Now)

It’s taken some time, but the dedication ceremony for Trussville’s Rotary Clock officially took place on November 14. Better late than never, right? Read on for details on the ceremony and how the clock found a home in Trussville.

The club behind the clock

It’s not often you see a clock and wonder where it came from. But with a clock this cool, we knew its backstory had to be just as unique. Here’s a look at how it came to be.

A couple of years back, the Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club was racking its brains for something that would make the soon-to-be-developed corner of Main Street and Chalkville Road shine. On a trip to Mobile, former City Council Member and Rotarian Jef Freeman and Perry Cook were walking down the street and saw a clock. Their first thought was, “That’s it!”

“The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club wanted to contribute something to the redevelopment of downtown. In conjunction with the city, we decided a Rotary Clock was something we could fund.”
Jamie Townes, President, Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club

So, they did. The City of Trussville purchased the clock and the Club raised funds to pay it back.

“Our rotary club will celebrate its 33rd anniversary in May 2023, and looking back at the legacy of Rotary and those members who founded our club, I think the Rotary Clock brings a sense of tradition and a sense of looking forward to the future and the things that we plan to do.”
Jamie Townes, President, Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club

The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club is part of Rotary International, a service organization that brings together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.

Trussville’s Rotary Daybreak Club is behind tons of community projects from planting trees at Civitan Park and providing heated benches at Trussville’s Library Park to leadership and scholarship opportunities for local high school students.

What took so long for the dedication?

If you live in Trussville, you likely saw the Rotary Clock pop up in downtown Trussville in Summer 2021. Why was the clock dedicated nearly a year and a half later? I assure you, everyone involved does know how to tell time.

According to Jamie, the reason for the later-than-usual dedication ceremony was due to construction. With Trussville’s Entertainment District’s continuing growth over the past few years, construction zones have become the norm for the city. One of the main spots for recent construction has been at the very corner Trussville’s Rotary Clock stands.

After bricks were laid, benches were installed and the Cahaba Building officially completed, Trussville’s newest time machine could finally have its day in the sun on November 14.

For more events around the Greater Birmingham Area, follow Bham Now on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok + LinkedIn.