Willard House & Clock Museum to develop new 10,000-sq-ft facility
Photo I Courtesy of Willard House & Clock Museum
A rendering of the Willard House & Clock Museum's upcoming Charles N. Grichar Center
A year after the Willard House & Clock Museum received one of the largest donations in its history, the North Grafton museum has announced plans to use the funds to build a 10,000-square-foot showcase facility.
The new facility will be named the Charles N. Grichar Center after the museum’s trustee and benefactor who pledged more than $15 million to the Willard House & Clock Museum in April 2024, according to a Tuesday press release.
The Charles N. Grichar Center will house the largest collection of Willard family clocks and E. Howard & Co. clocks, said the release. The facility will include exhibit space, a multi-use room, reception area, conservation workshop, classrooms, and a horological library with more than 8,000 volumes. The space will feature watches and ephemera with more than 200 new objects.
Construction on the new facility is currently set to begin upon Grichar’s passing, Robert Gierschick, director of development, told WBJ.
The Willard House and Clock Museum must raise $6 million by 2028 in order to qualify for the $15-million donation, a benchmark goal the museum raised for itself after originally announcing a $3 million target last April, said Gierschick. The museum has already raised more than $4.2 million in donations, grants, land sales, and pledges.
“We are honored by the trust and generosity of these institutions and benefactors,”
Robert Cheney, the museum’s executive director, said in the release. “Their support allows us to expand our collection, teach students about horology more effectively and make local history, art and related culture accessible to all.”
The museum will host a public design unveiling and open house from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.on May 10 where guests can meet Grichar, the trustees and the museum’s architect. Attendees can register for the event here.
Founded in 1971, Willard House and Clock Museum hosted 2,025 visitors in 2023, making it the 34th most popular tourist attraction in Central Massachusetts when ranked by attendance by WBJ’s Research Department.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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