Rockwell Automation Headquarters and Allen-Bradley Clock Tower

The Rockwell Automation Headquarters is an office building located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Clock Tower

The Allen-Bradley Clock Tower, owned by Allen-Bradley, a product brand of Rockwell Automation, has long been a landmark in Milwaukee. The original tower opened in 1962 and in the mid 1970s was converted into the "Temperature Tower" while an even larger, taller clock was erected 400 feet (120 m) to the northwest.

The current clock tower stands at 86 meters [cite web | url = http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/?id=101324 | title = Milwaukee: Buildings of the City | publisher = Emporis | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ] and is listed in Guinness World Records as the world’s largest four-faced clock. Because the octagonal faces are nearly twice the size of the clocks in London’s Big Ben, chimes were never added in order to allow Big Ben to remain the largest four-faced "chiming" clock in the world. Each hour hand is convert|15.8|ft|m long and weighs 490 pounds (220 kg). Each minute hand is 20 feet (6.1 m) long and weighs 530 pounds (240 kg). The hour markings are convert|4|ft|m high.

The clock has been called "The Polish Moon," referring to the historically Polish neighborhood in which it is based (see St. Stanislaus Catholic Church history). In recent years, it has also been called the "Mexican Moon," reflecting the change in the area's ethnic composition.(Though both ethnicities have presences) Its lighted faces have been a faithful navigation aid for Lake Michigan mariners over the years, except during the 1973 oil crisis when the clock went unlit from November 1973 to June 1974.Fact|date=April 2007

The tower made an appearance on the NASCAR Busch Series race car of Mike Bliss in 2004. To celebrate Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley's 100 year association, the #20 Rockwell Automation car was painted all black with gold accents along with the Rockwell/Allen-Bradley 100 Year symbol on the hood and quarter panels. The Bell Tower was put on the car in front of the wheel well.

References

External links

* [http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=OL0390 NGS Survey of the Tower]
* [http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/apr02/33720.asp Adjusting the Clock's Time]