One of the Hopkinsville’s most iconic landmarks, the clock tower atop the old city fire station, is getting its first fresh coat of red paint in five years.
The work began Monday and could be completed this week, said Alissa Keller, executive director of the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County, which manages the Woody Winfree Fire and Transportation Museum in the old fire hall on East Ninth Street.
Altman Coatings, a Christian County company, is doing the work. It will cost approximately $32,000, said Keller.
The city will cover most of the expense, using $25,000 from the T-Mobile grant that Hopkinsville received last year. The museum board agreed to cover the rest of the bill.
The last time the clock tower was painted was in the summer of 2017, just before the solar eclipse brought thousands of visitors to Hopkinsville. The color had been noticeably fading for months.
The tower’s roof is being painted a color called Safety Red from Sherwin-Williams.
The clock tower is approximately 65 feet tall. It was constructed in 1926 for $4,200.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
