Public and religious life in New England during the 18th and early 19th centuries centered on the meetinghouse, which hosted both religious worship and town meetings. These buildings were often built on a rise to be visible for many miles. Originally, townspeople relied upon the ringing of the meetinghouse bell to announce that religious services or secular meetings were about to begin and otherwise, there was little need to know the exact time.  That would change as the 18th century progressed, and especially during the Industrial Revolution, with the development of  factories and mills with regulated work hours.  Time pieces were not yet something everyone could afford, so clocks were provided in or on some public buildings such as meetinghouses.