Although the 6-foot face of a 1907 clock can be seen from its new five-story home in Marion Township, owner Ben Robertson shows the refurbished works that are housed inside. The tower is also home to a 1970s-era carillon, which simulates tolling bells, that was rescued from Slippery Rock University.

MARION TWP — Although there is no pot of gold, Ben Robertson and Don Fink know right where the rainbow ends: in their back yard.

That is where the two men are constructing the Rainbow's End Clock Tower, a five-story spire that stretches 68 feet into the air.

Robertson and Fink, with the help of some friends, have spent the last five years constructing the tower.

Although it contains a three-room apartment that takes up three levels of the structure, the tower's main function is to house a 1907 Seth Thomas clock with a 6-foot face. Restored to its original condition by its former owner, William Riley of the North Hills area, the clock and its mechanism were put up for auction when Riley died.

Having seen the clock listed in an auction announcement, Robertson checked it out.

"As soon as I saw that (clock) mechanism and how beautifully it was restored, I was sold. You could not replace that piece," Robertson said.

Although Robertson believes enthusiasts all over the country might have shown up to bid on the artifact, the auction's limited publicity meant only one person gave him serious bidding competition, and that person was phoning in his bids.

The other bidder dropped out just before Robertson was ready to give up, allowing Robertson to possess an item that might have been beyond his grasp.

But the treasure was too precious to keep hidden, so Robertson and Fink sat down at the kitchen table one evening and made preliminary plans for a tower to showcase the clock.

No architects were consulted, and the two men knew they would be doing most of the work themselves.

They decided to build the tower in a semi-wooded area of their 40 acres without cutting down any of the trees. Their hope was that, when complete, the structure would fit into the landscape as though it belonged there.

The location was also a part of the property Robertson's mother used to visit and enjoy for its beauty and solitude. Robertson's family used to muse that his mother's time there was her own little "somewhere over the rainbow," which is how the tower got its name.When it came time for construction, the basement was completed first, and then Robertson, Fink and friend Bob Emery built the walls 20 feet at a time on the ground. As the sections of wall were completed, they were hoisted into place by a crane provided by Jim Strange of Harrisville. The 8,000-pound roof was constructed and lifted into place last."It fit exactly into place," Robertson said.For other parts of the project, such as placing windows, the men were helped out by Ray Peffer of Harrisville, who used a bucket truck to do high-up work on the building's exterior.The only part of the project that was contracted out was the exterior brickwork.To solidify the structure, the four corner pillars were filled with concrete, and taut aircraft cables run the lengths of the floors and walls, crisscrossing from side to side for stability.The clockworks were recently installed on the first floor and will operate the clock face, inserted into fourth story building face, through a custom series of levers and gears. The mechanism can also be connected to a large bell hanging in the tower's highest level.In addition to the clock, the tower is home to a 1970s-era carillon, rescued from Slippery Rock University when the school decided to replace it with a new one. The university and the company that originally installed it there, the Schulmerich Bell Co., deemed the carillon obsolete, and spare parts are unavailable.The carillon is composed of several cabinets and uses a series of tone rods to simulate tolling bells. The tones are activated by keyboard. From the basement, the tones will be electronically routed to a set of large speakers donated by Jason Wiles of Harrisville.The speakers will be positioned on the top floor to give the illusion that full-sized bells are pealing in the tower.Despite the drawbacks, Robertson and Fink thought the instrument should be preserved for its historical value and bought it when it was auctioned off by the university in the early 1990s."Those instruments, once they're gone, they're basically museum pieces," Robertson said. "I hated to see it go into a trash can."Robertson's brother Jim spent many hours getting the carillon in working order and installing it properly in the basement of the Rainbow's End clock tower.With the clock and carillon all but in place and the exterior and structural work complete, the owners are looking forward to a dedication ceremony May 28, but much work remains to be done on the interior before then.Robertson, Fink and friends are spending every moment of free time finishing and painting walls on each floor. Furnishings and appliances for the apartment also have to be put into place before a circular stairwell can be installed.When complete, Robertson and Fink hope the tower will become a draw to and conversation piece during annual concerts held at the property to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a musical scholarship program the men created.

Ben Robertson stands at the entrance of a five-story clock tower constructed to showcase a 1907 Seth Thomas clock obtained at auction. With help from friends, Robertson and Don Fink constructed the tower over a five-year period on their 40-acre homesite in Marion Township.