Our 1999 National Annual Reunion will be held at the Willard House and Clock Museum in Grafton, MA. The Museum is housed in the original homestead of Joseph-3 Willard.* Joseph-3 Willard was born at Sudbury, MA on May 28, 1693. He and his young family removed to Grafton about 1718 and built the first part of the house you will be visiting (then a one-room house).

Joseph and his wife, Martha Clark(e) had 12 children. Of these, Benjamin-4 was the oldest, being born at Framingham, MA on November 13, 1716. Benjamin spent his entire life on the homestead. On May 17, 1739, Benjamin married Sarah Brooks of Concord. Benjamin and Sarah also had 12 children, four of their sons becoming clockmakers.

Benjamin-5 Willard was the first of the clockmaking Willards. He was born at Grafton, March 19, 1743. By 1764, Benjamin had learned the trade of a last-maker, and travelled to East Hartford, CT residing with the Cheney family, plying his trade. He advertised in the Hartford Courant that he was a last-maker at the Cheney's. Two of the Cheney brothers were clockmakers, making tall clocks with wood movements. It must be assumed that Benjamin first learned clockmaking from the Cheneys, as a wood movement tall clock signed on the dial "Benjamin Willard" has surfaced, and the movement is the same type made by the Cheneys. In 1766 Benjamin returned to Grafton, and that same year built a clock shop next to the house. This structure still stands today, being the oldest clock shop still standing in New England.

The second son to make clocks was Simon-5 Willard, who was born at Grafton on April 3, 1753. It is assumed that he learned the trade from his brother, Benjamin, and possibly also from a Robert Morris, who was an itinerant clockmaker, (often on the run with a sheriff close behind). Robert Morris spent time working in Connecticut with Perrigrine White, a brass movement clockmaker and later at Grafton. Simon became the most famous of the four brothers, actually inventing several clock styles, the most famous of which is his "Patent Timepiece," today incorrectly called by most, the Banjo Clock.

The third son, Ephraim-5 Willard, was born at Grafton on March 8, 1755. Primarily he made brass-movement tall clocks but was not as well known as his brother Simon. Ephraim Willard tall clocks are rare today. He most assuredly learned his trade from his brothers.

The fourth brother was Aaron-5 Willard, who was born at Grafton on October 14, 1757. Aaron became a very well known clockmaker and operated a clock "factory" in Roxbury, Massachusetts for a time. Aaron and Simon both had children, who followed their fathers in clock-making, the better known being Aaron-6 Willard Jun., Simon-6 Willard Jun., and Benjamin-6 Willard. The homestead in Grafton had several different owners and over the years had deteriorated extensively.

In 1968 Dr. Roger Robinson and his wife, Imogene, purchased the house and three acres. Later the Robinsons were able to return 52 acres to the homestead. In 1968 the Robinsons donated the homestead to the Grafton Historical Society. Due to financial constraints, the Society was not able to do much with the property, and, in 1979 it came under the control of a private foundation, established by the Robinsons. Over the years the Robinsons and the foundation made repairs to the Willard House and Clock Shop to a point where now it looks much like it did in the 18th century. What has to be the finest collection of Willard clocks and family memorabilia in the world is now displayed in the house and clock shop, a tribute to the four Willard brothers who started it all. The Museum houses examples of Willard clocks and timepieces from three generations of craftsmen.

In 1994 the Willard House and Clock Museum became an affiliate of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors who now administer the Museum and provide a fulltime Curator. The Robinsons still spend time at Willard House, and on any given day, you can find Dr. Robinson teaching a group of visitors about the distinguished family of Willard clockmakers. Not only is the Museum an important part of American history, displaying the contributions made by the Willard family, but it also stands as a true monument to the hard work and love of clocks by Dr. and Mrs. Robinson who made it all happen and made the Willard House and Clock Museum what it is today.

*Joseph is known to the WFA as #38 on page 37 in the 1915 Willard Genealogy, with the lineage Benjamin-2, Simon-1. The full citation of his son #98 Benjamin-4 Willard is on pages 69-70. Benjamin-4's clockmaking sons are #224 Benjamin, #226 Simon, #227 Ephraim, and #228 Aaron. The clockmaking grandsons are #517 Simon, #518 Benjamin Franklin, and #520 Aaron.