Prince Edward played a major role in reshaping the physical appearance of Halifax. His restless ambition resulted in thousands of pounds being spent from the imperial treasury on harbour fortifications. The Citadel, renamed Fort George, was cut down in height by twelve feet with the fill being used to construct an elaborate array of earthern embankments fitted with bombproof magazines and barracks. At key points around the harbour, Edward erected three martello towers with massive stone walls, eight feet thick. One of these towers still survives as does St. George's Anglican church, a structure Edward had built in the round style that he found so fascinating. The most prominent of Edward's architectural legacies, however, is the old town clock. It was erected to assist the garrison in satisfying the Prince's mania for punctuality, especially at military parades which he would schedule for early morning hours.
Construction began shortly after Edward's departure at a site on the eastern slopes of Citadel Hill. The clock's English made works weigh half a ton and are gravity driven by three large weights which descend through the central tower. The works must be wound once a week. The clock is equipped with bells which supposedly make it the first chiming clock erected in North America. Some believe the building beneath the tower to be haunted. Having stood for over a century and a half, the clock is Halifax's best known symbol.
