There were many clocks, in private houses, on public buildings, and many people carried watches. There were mantel clocks, and grandfather clocks in big cases. Some clocks not only told the time but had decorative moving dials that showed the phase of the moon and the month of the year - or perhaps the sign of the zodiac. there were decorative items called watch pockets or watch hooks to hang on the wall (crocheted, knit, beaded) so a watch could be kept visible, though some were made to hide the watch and muffle the ticking. Bed pockets, hung on the side of the bed, usually had a small compartment for the watch.

Timepieces weren't cheap, but people would take care of them and hand them down, so their numbers accrued over time.

The town hall always had a big clock, as a civic function, both for those with no timepieces and for those who needed to set theirs. Europeans began displaying city clocks on cathedrals back in the Rennaissance. They brought the habit to the colonies.