It holds the mechanical clock , built in 1901 by the Seth Thomas Clock Company , which was originally housed in Stanford Memorial Church ’s large belfry . When the belfry collapsed in the 1906 earthquake , the university preserved the chimes in temporary structures near the church , where they continued to chime the hours . ( During the 1950s and 1960s the chimes were heard to strike 13 times at noon , possibly the result of a student prank . ) In 1983 the clock and chimes were rehoused in the current clock tower
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Stanford Clock Tower