Clock Tower Rings Again at the Brattleboro Retreat
by Mary Wilson // July 20, 2026
For generations in Brattleboro, the sound of the clock tower atop Lawton Hall at the Brattleboro Retreat has marked the passage of time. Its chimes have echoed across the campus and into town, offering a familiar rhythm to daily life and the work of healing.
What many don’t know is that the clock tower, originally installed in 1912, was funded through a bequest from Dr. Joseph Draper, the Retreat’s second superintendent. Now, thanks to the support of another former Retreat CEO, Dr. Robert E. Simpson, Jr. and his wife Ariane Krumholz, the historic clock tower has been restored and is ringing out once again.
Superintendent Draper believed deeply in the comfort that the steady marking of time could bring, especially to those struggling through sleepless nights. In his will, he wrote that the clock might serve as “a great comfort to sleepless persons during the time of darkness.”
More than a century later, the clock tower remains a powerful symbol of the Retreat’s mission and its connection to the wider community. Longtime staff member Brenda Nichols remembers how important the clock’s chime was growing up. “As a lifelong resident of Brattleboro, the Lawton Hall clock was very important to me and to the other kids in my neighborhood,” Nichols said. “No matter where we were, the striking of the Retreat clock on the half hour and hour reminded us that we were never far from home or that it was time to be somewhere else.”
Over the decades, however, the clock tower occasionally fell silent as its aging mechanisms required repair. Robert Simpson recalls that during his time leading the Retreat from 2006 to 2015, the clock was showing signs of wear.
“I remember it needing repair” Simpson said. “At the time, we had to prioritize funding for patient care and major renovations across the campus. But the clock tower was always on my list because it’s so symbolic.”
Simpson is remembered for stewarding the Retreat during a period of transformation, from the development of several new programs to a focus on financial sustainability, to a new relationship with the State of Vermont. When flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene forced the closure of the Vermont State Hospital in 2011, Governor Peter Shumlin called Simpson early one morning asking if the Retreat could help house displaced patients. He agreed immediately. “Put them on the state bus, and we will be ready for them when they arrive,” he recalled telling the Governor.
Amid those large institutional challenges, the clock tower remained a steady, familiar presence on the campus and in the daily lives of those receiving care. Restoring it was a project Simpson never forgot.
Simpson says his deep connection to mental health care began early in life through a close bond with an aunt who struggled with serious mental illness. Visiting her in a psychiatric hospital as a child left a lasting impression. “I think that’s the genesis of my work in mental health, leading me to create programs to support people with serious illness,” he said. Now, with the clock tower restored, he hopes it will continue to serve as a symbol of welcome and hope.
“I hope the Retreat is always a beacon with a clock tower that calls people in, symbolically,” Simpson said. “The stigma around mental illness still exists. The sound of the chimes, the beauty of the campus, and the creativity of the programs should remind people that this is a place where they can come for help.”
Retreat President and CEO Steven Cummings says the restored clock tower carries meaning far beyond its mechanical repair.
“This clock is an important symbol in Brattleboro and representative of our work; it’s even part of our logo,” Cummings said. “Keeping it ringing honors nearly 200 years of continuity, care, and connection between the Retreat and this community.”
For both Cummings and Simpson, the project also reflects something deeper: the enduring partnership and shared stewardship carried forward by generations of Retreat leadership.
Once again, the familiar chime echoes over Brattleboro, marking the hours and signaling that the Retreat continues its long tradition of care.
