The seclusion only added to the sense of anticipation that came over me when I entered the house. My favorite time was to enter just as the clocks started chiming. Clocks, you say? More than one? Well, yes, my Grandparents also had a love affair with clocks - Grandfather clocks, Grandmother clocks, Cuckoo clocks, and any other type of clock that announced the time passing with some sort of melodious chime, ring or bong and of course the sound of the cuckoo bird.

There were clocks all over the house and the sound of all of them making their wonderful sounds as it reached the top of the hour was magical, especially the bong, bong, bong of the Grandfather clocks. It only got better as the hour hand reached up into the double digits. One of my favorite memories is going to sleep at that house with the music of the clocks lulling me to sleep. To this day, the sound of a Grandfather clock chiming or bonging gives me a peaceful feeling, as though I were a little girl again, back in that big stone house.

Now you know why I love Grandfather clocks so much, and of course I have one in my home. Why are they so popular? The nostalgic and unforgettable chime of a grandfather clock is a sound that brings back good memories. They mark the passage of a slow summer day, and the end of one, as you come home after a hard day's work. The chime of the hours passing gives one the comforting feeling that all is well.

Grandfather Clocks have been in existence for hundreds of years, and are one of history's most distinctive and enduring heirloom pieces of furniture. The fine craftsmanship and decor they give to your home is unmatched by any other piece of furniture. Grandfather clocks are symbols of elegance and time, and now forever have their place in history as one of our treasured family heirlooms.

In 1582 Galileo calculated that a mainspring clock movement could be more accurately controlled when it was combined with a swinging pendulum movement. It would take another seventy years for this discovery to be fully understood. While they were popular in Europe in homes of grandeur and nobility in the 1600 and early 1700's, in America, Grandfather clocks go back to the first settlement in North America, known today as the state of Virginia. By the late 1700's, grandfather clocks were appearing in homes as a mark of prosperity.

If you want a Grandfather clock, you can buy a new one. There are many fine clockmakers in the world today Howard Miller is the largest manufacturer of Grandfather clocks and their clockmaking is of the highest quality. If you have the soul of an artist and want to restore an antique Grandfather clock, you will be happy to know that they are relatively easy to find. Many people do not know what a treasure they have in their antique clocks and leave them in a corner of a room to collect dust, and would no doubt be happy to have you take one off their hands. Depending on the condition of the one you find, it is a project to restore one of these. But the superior craftsmanship of these elegant timepieces, and their burnished wood surfaces and intricate carvings make restoring one a worthy endeavor.

In the world of clocks, Grandfather clocks are among the most memorable of heirlooms. Be sure to cherish yours and take care of it so you can pass it down to your children and they to their children.