Cincinnati Observatory

The Cincinnati Observatory is located in Cincinnati, Ohio (United States) on top of Mount Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11-inch (28 cm) and 16 inch (41 cm) aperture refracting telescope. It is the oldest professional observatory in the United States.[3] It was a key facility for astronomical research and education at the University of Cincinnati and currently operates as a 19th-century observatory. There are regular viewings through both historical telescopes as well as tours and additional programs. The observatory also has an extensive outreach program, providing astronomical education for the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana region.[4][5]

Cincinnati Observatory
Original building atop Mt. Lookout
Observatory code 765 
LocationCincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio
Coordinates39.139°N 84.423°W / 39.139; -84.423
Established1842
Websitehttp://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org
Telescopes
1845 Merz und MahlerRefractor
1904 Alvan Clark & SonsRefractor
Cincinnati Observatory
LocationObservatory Historic District; 3489 Observatory Place, Cincinnati, Ohio
Coordinates39°8′19″N 84°25′22″W
Built1873
ArchitectSamuel Hannaford
Architectural styleGreek Revival
MPSSamuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County
NRHP reference No.80003043
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 3, 1980[1]
Designated NHLDecember 9, 1997[2]
Location of Cincinnati Observatory
Related media on Wikimedia Commons

The Cincinnati Observatory is a contributing property to the Observatory Historic District.

History
Illustration of the 11 inch "Merz and Mahler" refracting telescope[6]

Cincinnati Observatory was built by Ormsby M. Mitchel at the peak of Mount Ida,[7] a hill that overlooks downtown Cincinnati. Nicholas Longworth donated 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land for the purpose.[8] The Holy Cross Monastery and Chapel stands today at the site.[9] The cornerstone was laid on November 9, 1843, and presiding over the occasion was former President John Quincy Adams, with an introduction by Judge Jacob Burnet.[10] At 77 years old, it was to be his last public speech, and Mount Ida was renamed to Mount Adams in his honor.

The Merz refractor was the biggest telescope in the United States in the early 1840s.[11]

In 1871, the Observatory came under the control of the University of Cincinnati and in 1873 it was transferred from Mt. Adams to Mt. Lookout in order to escape the smoke and dirt of the city, where it remains today.[12] The ground on which it stands was given to the city by John Kilgour in 1872.[13] A smaller structure, the Mitchel Building, holds the original telescope taken from the Mount Adams observatory. The 1873 building was built by the firm of Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford.[14] From 1884 to 1930 the director of the Observatory was Jermain G. Porter.[15][16] In 1998 the Observatory was declared a National Historic Landmark.

The asteroid 1373 Cincinnati was named to honor the staff of the observatory.

Instruments
  • The 1845 Merz und Mahler 11 inch refractor – Housed in the "Mitchel Building". May be the oldest continually used telescope in the world. It is currently used for public education programs.
  • The 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons 16 inch refractor – Housed in the "Herget Building". Used in public education programs and graduate research.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "Cincinnati Observatory". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  3. Felix Winternitz & Sacha DeVroomen Bellman (2007). Insiders' Guide to Cincinnati. Globe Pequot. p. 164. ISBN 9780762741809. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
  4. "Cincinnati Observatory".
  5. "Cincinnati Observatory". Yelp. 13 September 2015.
  6. from "Smith's Illustrated Astronomy", 1848
  7. Charles Theodore Greve (1904). Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1. Biographical Publishing Company. p. 713. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  8. Charles Theodore Greve (1904). Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1. Biographical Publishing Company. p. 898. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  9. Rolfes, Steven (Oct 29, 2012). Cincinnati Landmarks. Arcadia Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 9780738593951. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  10. Charles Theodore Greve (1904). Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1. Biographical Publishing Company. p. 899. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  11. Jones, Bessie Judith (Zaban); Jones, Bessie Z.; Jones, Bessie Zaban; Boyd, Lyle Gifford (1971). The Harvard College Observatory: The First Four Directorships, 1839-1919. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674374607.
  12. Grace, Kevin (Jan 4, 2012). Legendary Locals of Cincinnati. Arcadia Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 9781467100021. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  13. Charles Theodore Greve (1904). Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1. Biographical Publishing Company. p. 896. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  14. Federal Writers' Project (1943). Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors. p. 308. ISBN 9781623760519. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  15. http://runeberg.org/salmonsen/2/19/0451.html Porter, Jermain Gildersleeve]. Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon (andra utgåvan, 1925).
  16. "Dr. J.G. Porter, Astronomer, Dead". The New York Times.
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