Maria Mitchell Observatory
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The Observatory was placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in July 1991 since it was deemed to be of great significance for women's history by virtue of its association with Maria Mitchell and her role in educating women students in the science of astronomy.
The first building to be completed at Vassar, the Observatory was, at the time, the only classroom building outside Main. The structure, situated 653 feet northeast of Main, faced west and was designed with an octagonal center of twenty-six feet in diameter surmounted by a dome twenty-seven feet seven inches in diameter. Three identical protruding wings extended north, east, and south. On the second story were a prime vertical room, a transit room, and a clock and chronograph room, all named for the instruments used in them. Brick was the primary construction material, and the dome, made of pine, was opened by a system of pulleys. The dome and instruments were supported by stone piers, made from granite, Onandaga limestone, and Westchester marble. The Observatory had a telescope (now at the Smithsonian) purchased from Henry Fitz, celebrated telescope maker. The Vassar Observatory was unique in its time in that it was designed for students. Samuel F.B. Morse, a trustee of Vassar College, saw to it that the building had a telegraph line within 1000 rods of the building to connect it with other observatories.
Unfortunately, the observatory in recent years has been vulnerable to the encroachment of light, noise, and electronic interference. Though now used for other purposes, its exterior was recently restored. A new building, the Class of 1951 Observatory, located in a more remote part of the campus, has replaced the earlier observatory as the home of the astronomy program.
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