Old Naval Observatory
Encyclopedia
Old Naval Observatory is a site in Washington, D.C.
.
The observatory operated from 1844 to 1893 when it was closed in favor of a new U.S. Naval Observatory
facility on Massachusetts Avenue. The building and grounds were retained by the U.S. Navy, which first used it to house the Naval Museum of Hygiene from 1894 to 1902. Beginning in 1903, the Naval Medical Hospital was constructed on the grounds, and it remained in use until 1942, when hospital operations were transferred to the National Naval Medical Center
in Bethesda, Maryland. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1965.
Today, the facility houses the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The grounds and observatory are closed to the public. The entire Navy Hill is being transferred to the State Dept. due to BRAC and the Navy will be moving out. The Central Intelligence Agency's forerunner, the OSS was a tenant on the Hill during World War II, and the Public Health Service had a hospital there as well.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
The observatory operated from 1844 to 1893 when it was closed in favor of a new U.S. Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
facility on Massachusetts Avenue. The building and grounds were retained by the U.S. Navy, which first used it to house the Naval Museum of Hygiene from 1894 to 1902. Beginning in 1903, the Naval Medical Hospital was constructed on the grounds, and it remained in use until 1942, when hospital operations were transferred to the National Naval Medical Center
National Naval Medical Center
The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, USA — commonly known as the Bethesda Naval Hospital — was for decades the flagship of the United States Navy's system of medical centers. A federal institution, it conducted medical and dental research as well as providing health care for...
in Bethesda, Maryland. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1965.
Today, the facility houses the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The grounds and observatory are closed to the public. The entire Navy Hill is being transferred to the State Dept. due to BRAC and the Navy will be moving out. The Central Intelligence Agency's forerunner, the OSS was a tenant on the Hill during World War II, and the Public Health Service had a hospital there as well.
External links
- Old Naval Observatory, Twenty-Third & E Streets Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC: 2 photos, 2 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey