The Madison County Historical Society is excited to announce 4 new additions to the collection. Russ Oechsle was overly generous and donated 4 beautiful wooden shelf clocks to add as permanent exhibits to the Historical Society on November 19th, 2025. The 4 clocks donated were each uniquely crafted by 4 separate clock makers of Madison County in the 19th century: William Dexter of Stockbridge, NY, Horace Dexter Stockbridge, NY, L. & J. Frisbie of Chittenango, NY, and Carter & Weller of Stockbridge, NY. Each clock sharing design characteristics influenced by the American Empire style that had been growing in popularity through the 1830s. They are all meticulously crafted with elegant detail and color.
Russ Oechsle is a long-time researcher and collector of Upstate New York clocks and clock makers. His first articles on Madison County clocks appeared in the early 1980s in the Madison County Heritage. Oechsle was the co-author of the 2003 National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors book “An Empire in Time – Clocks and Clock Makers of Upstate New York,” and has written articles for numerous presentations to local and national interest groups and historical societies. He was once a Board Member of the Madison County Historical Society and previously donated to the Historical Society in the past. The Samuel W. Chubbock tall clock that stands in the Dining Room of Cottage Lawn was another donation by Russ only a few years ago. He had also provided the Historical Society with 21 rare early American shelf clocks for a temporary exhibit back in 2021 held throughout the rooms at the Cottage Lawn.
The Madison County Historical Society is absolutely thrilled to accept these generous donations from Russ Oechsle. All 4 of these new donations will be catalogued, accessioned, and put on display for visitors to admire alongside his previous Chubbock tall clock. The clocks will be displayed throughout the first floor of the Higgenbotham House with informational display cards about the Clocks and their makers and an image of the inside.
Want to learn more about these beautifully crafted clocks? Book a tour and come check them out yourself!
