Spartanburg council hears hours of comment and staff history as clock tower’s future is debated

Spartanburg City Council on Aug. 25 heard a detailed history of the Daniel Morgan clock and nearly three hours of public comment as staff described options to move the clock tower to accommodate downtown redevelopment and to make its bell and clockworks publicly accessible in a new city–county building. Council made no final decision and directed staff to return with relocation and display options.

The issue drew dozens of speakers during the public-comment period, many urging the council to keep the tower in its current Morgan Square location and others supporting the staff recommendation. City Manager Chris Storey framed the discussion with a timeline going back to 1881, saying the city has had three primary government buildings with clock elements and arguing the proposed move would “return the clock to its historic position overlooking the seat of local government” while making the clockworks and bell accessible to the public inside the new building.

Why it matters: The clock is a visible downtown landmark, residents said, and the pending downtown projects…