DETROIT – An unidentified man is in custody after an act of vandalism against a rare museum piece.
The Detroit Historical Society said in a statement Thursday night that a more than 100-year-old clock was vandalized at the Detroit Historical Museum.
The Historical Society said a visitor at the museum pulled a fire alarm before damaging the Meier Clock which is located in Round Hall near the museum's store.
Museum spokesman Bob Sadler said the vandal apparently planned his act.
"He took some kind of hard object that he may have taken from one of our janitorial closets, took the object and actually struck the clock," Sadler said.
The Detroit Fire Department, Wayne State University Police and Detroit police responded to the museum and the man was arrested. The Wayne State police took him into custody.
The Meier Clock was built in Detroit more than 100 years ago by clockmaker Louis Meier Sr. It served to advertise the clockmaker's jewelry store at Gratiot Avenue and East Grand Boulevard.
Thomas Meier, a great-grandson of the clock's creator, is saddened by the vandalism.
"It's devastating because the clock was built in 1907 so its over 100 years old and our family was proud to donate it to the Detroit Historical Museum," Meier said.
The clock also was displayed at the 1906 Michigan State Fair and the 1934 Chicago World's Fair. It was displayed at Meier's store until 1940 when it was moved to L.M. Gear, a gear company founded by Meier.
Meier's grandson donated the clock in 1982 to the Detroit Historical Museum. It was restored in 1999.
Thomas Meier said he cannot understand why someone would damage the clock.
"There are so many beautiful things here in the city of Detroit that to destroy something like that is just incomprenensible. I just don't understand it all," Meier said.
The face of the damaged clock has been covered.
Museum spokesmen said it is not known how much it might cost to repair the clock, but efforts will be made to restore it.