The American version of the tavern clock was produced during the first third of the 19th Century. The form was developed and popularized in England, but did not have the same success in America, subsequently examples from this period are relatively rare.

The majority of tavern clocks were manufactured in New England, primarily in Boston. Joseph Nye Dunning of Burlington, Vt. and Abel Stowell of Charlestown, Mass. were makers of tavern clocks.

In the late 19th Century, similar production examples were introduced in the form of the "School House Clock". The values of these later clocks are significantly lower than early examples.