Vassar College Observatory

Vassar College Observatory
The Observatory in 2014 with its dome sealed
Vassar College Observatory is located in New York
Vassar College Observatory
LocationVassar College campus, Town of Poughkeepsie, NY
Coordinates41°41′18″N 73°53′36″W / 41.688285°N 73.893310°W / 41.688285; -73.893310
Built1865
NRHP reference No.91002051
NYSRHP No.02714.000020
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 17, 1991[1]
Designated NHLJuly 17, 1991[2]
Designated NYSRHPJuly 17, 1991

The Vassar College Observatory is an astronomical observatory of the private Vassar College, located near the eastern edge of the Poughkeepsie, New York college's campus. Finished in 1865, it was the first building on the college's campus, older even than the Main Building, with which it shares the status of National Historic Landmark. The observatory's significance is due to its association with Maria Mitchell, the first widely known female astronomer in the United States.[3]

As the college has built a new observatory on a hill near the edge of campus, the building is no longer used for astronomy. In 2008 it underwent a large restoration and renovation and now houses the offices of the education department and classrooms.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ "Vassar College Observatory". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 18, 2007.
  3. ^ "Maria Mitchell Observatory". Retrieved January 1, 2015.

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