The origin of Tower Clock Eye Center

• Posted on: Apr 7 2016
• By: Jim Wiegand

In clinic we often get asked, “How did Tower Clock Eye Center get its name?”

In 1989 Dr. Karl Schwiesow purchased the building at 1087 West Mason Street. The building’s northwest corner, which faces Mason Street, featured a rectangular, elevated parapet that was about 6 feet tall. This parapet displayed the name of the building’s previous tenant, NCR Corporation. When the lease for NCR expired at the end of 1993, the architect and contractor assumed that this parapet would be removed as the building underwent heavy remodeling.

However, driving across Tower Drive Bridge one night, Dr. Schwiesow had the idea not only to retain the original parapet, but also to add a second to the west side of the building, perpendicular to the original. Both parapets would feature a tower shape and a large clock on each side. Dr. Karl believed the unique building would be easier for patients to identify, and he decided the practice would then be named Tower Clock Eye Center.

We are also frequently asked, “Why Tower Clock Eye Center and not Clock Tower Eye Center?”

In naming the practice, Dr. Karl preferred to feature the timepiece in the tower (a tower clock) rather than the structure that holds the clock itself (a clock tower).

The clocks housed in the towers were made by the Verdin Clock Company of Cincinnati. This family-owned company came to the U.S. from France in 1842. Verdin Clock Company has created, preserved and restored clocks for some well-known buildings such as the Smithsonian Institute, Mayo Clinic, University of Notre Dame, and even Tower Clock Eye Center.

Tagged with: eye doctor, eye surgeon, History, ophthalmologist, Surgery, Tower Clock Eye Center

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