University of Alabama Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Old University of Alabama Observatory, now known as Frederick R. Maxwell Hall, was an astronomical
observatory
owned and operated by the University of Alabama
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
. Although no longer used as an observatory, the building has been restored and preserved. It currently houses the university's Creative Campus Assembly, an organization dedicated to building a collaborative environment between students, faculty, and the community. Significant for its architectural and historical importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on January 14, 1972.
-style observatory building was completed in 1844, though the equatorial mounted
Troughton & Simms
8 inch (0.2032 m) refracting telescope
was not mounted until 1849. The observation room was built with a large central section, capped by a revolving 18 feet (5.5 m) diameter dome. At the west end of the building was a transit instrument
room with a north-south slit in the roof. Opposite the transit room was an office. The transit room contained a Troughton and Simms transit circle
with a 4 inch (0.1016 m) objective and a focal length of 5 feet (1.5 m). It used a 4 feet (1.2 m) circle, readable to a single arc second
.
The University of Alabama, converted to a military campus at the time, was largely destroyed during a Federal raid led by General John Croxton on April 4, 1865. The observatory was one of seven buildings on campus that escaped being burned to the ground, although it suffered extensive damage. Fortunately, the lens had been sent to nearby Bryce Hospital for safekeeping, although parts of the telescope were removed by some of the troops as trophies. The other campus buildings to survive the event were the President's Mansion
(1841), Gorgas House (1829), the Little Round House (1860), and a few faculty residences.
Though the observatory and instruments had been damaged in the raid, the telescopes and observatory were still usable for teaching purposes until the 1890s. A new observatory
was built in Gallalee Hall in 1949 and a new telescope was installed by 1950. The old observatory building was known simply as the Old Observatory until 1985, when it was renamed in honor of Frederick R. Maxwell, a retired consulting engineer for the university who had been responsible for protecting and preserving the remnants of the 1800s university campus. Following the renaming it was used to house the Computer Based Honors Program
. It currently houses the university's Creative Campus Assembly.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
owned and operated by the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. Although no longer used as an observatory, the building has been restored and preserved. It currently houses the university's Creative Campus Assembly, an organization dedicated to building a collaborative environment between students, faculty, and the community. Significant for its architectural and historical importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 14, 1972.
History
The Greek RevivalGreek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
-style observatory building was completed in 1844, though the equatorial mounted
Equatorial mount
An equatorial mount is a mount for instruments that follows the rotation of the sky by having one rotational axis parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation. This type of mount is used for astronomical telescopes and cameras...
Troughton & Simms
Troughton & Simms
Troughton & Simms was a British instrument-making firm, formed when Edward Troughton in his old age took on William Simms as a partner in 1826.It became a limited company in 1915 and in 1922 it merged with T...
8 inch (0.2032 m) refracting telescope
Refracting telescope
A refracting or refractor telescope is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image . The refracting telescope design was originally used in spy glasses and astronomical telescopes but is also used for long focus camera lenses...
was not mounted until 1849. The observation room was built with a large central section, capped by a revolving 18 feet (5.5 m) diameter dome. At the west end of the building was a transit instrument
Transit instrument
In astronomy, transit instruments are used for the precise observation of star positions. The instruments can be divided into three groups:- Meridian instruments :for observation of star transits in the exact direction of South or North:...
room with a north-south slit in the roof. Opposite the transit room was an office. The transit room contained a Troughton and Simms transit circle
Meridian circle
The meridian circle, transit circle, or transit telescope is an instrument for observing the time of stars passing the meridian, at the same time measuring its angular distance from the zenith...
with a 4 inch (0.1016 m) objective and a focal length of 5 feet (1.5 m). It used a 4 feet (1.2 m) circle, readable to a single arc second
Minute of arc
A minute of arc, arcminute, or minute of angle , is a unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of one degree. In turn, a second of arc or arcsecond is one sixtieth of one minute of arc....
.
The University of Alabama, converted to a military campus at the time, was largely destroyed during a Federal raid led by General John Croxton on April 4, 1865. The observatory was one of seven buildings on campus that escaped being burned to the ground, although it suffered extensive damage. Fortunately, the lens had been sent to nearby Bryce Hospital for safekeeping, although parts of the telescope were removed by some of the troops as trophies. The other campus buildings to survive the event were the President's Mansion
President's Mansion (University of Alabama)
The President's Mansion is a historic Greek Revival style mansion on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has served as the official residence of university presidents ever since its completion in 1841. The structure narrowly avoided destruction during the American...
(1841), Gorgas House (1829), the Little Round House (1860), and a few faculty residences.
Though the observatory and instruments had been damaged in the raid, the telescopes and observatory were still usable for teaching purposes until the 1890s. A new observatory
University of Alabama Observatory
The Old University of Alabama Observatory, now known as Frederick R. Maxwell Hall, was an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Although no longer used as an observatory, the building has been restored and preserved...
was built in Gallalee Hall in 1949 and a new telescope was installed by 1950. The old observatory building was known simply as the Old Observatory until 1985, when it was renamed in honor of Frederick R. Maxwell, a retired consulting engineer for the university who had been responsible for protecting and preserving the remnants of the 1800s university campus. Following the renaming it was used to house the Computer Based Honors Program
Honors course
Honors course is a distinction applied in the United States to certain classes to distinguish them from standard course offerings. The difference between a regular class and the honors class is not necessarily the amount of work, but the type of work required and the pace of studying...
. It currently houses the university's Creative Campus Assembly.
See also
- University of Alabama ObservatoryUniversity of Alabama ObservatoryThe Old University of Alabama Observatory, now known as Frederick R. Maxwell Hall, was an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Although no longer used as an observatory, the building has been restored and preserved...
- List of observatories
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama