Hurley Auctions of Greencastle, Pa., is conducting the auction of one of the largest collections of clocks. The name Betty Jones (1935-2021) strikes a bell for many in Washington County, Md., as being an avid collector of antiques, carnival glass, and clocks.
Originally born in Cumberland, Md., Jones resided in the Hagerstown area for the majority of her life with her late husband, Jack, who originally started their passion for collecting clocks. The collection boasts nearly 1,000 clocks from all over the world. One clock in particular that Betty acquired was a tall case clock by George Woltz (1774-1813) of Hagerstown, Md.
Woltz was a clock,maker and cabinetmaker in Hagerstown in the late 1700s and early 1800s. He was noted as a 2nd Major in the Maryland Militia in 1776 and served as a charter member of the Hagerstown Fire Company in 1791. Woltz adamantly proposed in one of the meetings of the Mechanics Society in York, Pa., in 1801: "May virtue continue to the main spring of our government. May the friends of order wind up its chains, and may its hands always point to the public good, in order to promote the members’ trades.” Jones acquired the Woltz tall case clock roughly 20 years ago from a Hagerstown bank for $7,000.
Other clocks in the auction include Nicholas Muller cast-iron examples, Ansonia, Gilbert, Seth Thomas, Waterbury, Welch, New Haven, Ingraham, Jerome, and hundreds of others.
Hurley Auctions is conducting the estate sale online in a series of three auctions, the first of which will close Saturday, Dec. 11. A preview will be available for inspection at Hurley Auction’s Legacy Center, located at 2800 Buchanan Trail E. in Greencastle, Pa., on Friday, Dec. 10, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
To learn more about the three online sales, call Hurley’s at 717-597-9100.