Spa City horologist restoring LR’s Cave’s Clock
A Hot Springs family clock shop has partnered with the Little Rock Downtown Partnership to restore an old relic that sits at the intersection of Capitol Avenue and Main Street.
The family-owned clock shop is currently restoring the Cave’s Clock, which has not functioned properly since before the covid pandemic began.
Members of the Downtown Partnership said the clock’s history can be traced back to Thomas M. Cave, owner of Cave’s Jewelers.
“This is certainly a unique piece in downtown Little Rock, as people do notice it,” said Gabe Holmstrom, with the Downtown Little Rock Partnership.
Cave’s Jewelers was formerly located downtown on East Capitol Avenue in the early 1930s, before moving around the corner to 619 Main Street in 1946.
The initial placement of the clock followed shortly after the shop’s second move, although an exact time frame is unclear.
Years later, the clock was moved in 1978 to its current location at the corner of Capitol Avenue and Main Street due to ongoing construction in its initial spot downtown.
That is where the clock will stay, functioning or not, according to what officials with the Downtown Partnership said years ago — noting that the clock represents a tangible memory of the shops along Main Street at the time.
Cave’s Jewelers eventually moved to the Heights area in the 80s before closing some time after.
Despite the jewelry shop’s demise, the clock continues to face the streets of downtown, Holmstrom said, while displaying a time that may or may not be accurate.
Holmstrom said the clock was “functioning” prior to the pandemic but that it did not stay on time.
Previous repairs to the clock also had the neon lights and sign replaced and operational.
“This time, it will be undergoing a complete overhaul, with the neon being replaced with LED lights,” Holmstrom said.
“Additionally, all of the inner clock mechanisms will be replaced and updated.”
He added that the clock itself will not be functioning again until the fall but is known to get decent attention from people passing through town.
“To that point, we would get calls when it was off time on a fairly regular basis,” Holmstrom said.
“We are working on this. [Brown’s Family Clock] from Hot Springs went and took everything out and is working on figuring out what it will take to repair it all.”
He added, “By getting this restored, we hope people will slow down and take the time to enjoy the clock, as it will then tell the correct time more than twice a day.”
As for funds, Holmstrom said the money for the repair will come from the city’s public art fund.
“Additionally, we would greatly appreciate any donations to go towards the restoration of this clock,” Holmstrom said.