Property Record
4065 OBSERVATORY RD
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | University of Wisconsin-Madison Pine Bluff Observatory |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 242197 |
| Location (Address): | 4065 OBSERVATORY RD |
|---|---|
| County: | Dane |
| City: | Cross Plains |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | 7 |
| Range: | 7 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 16 |
| Quarter Section: | SE |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: | SW |
| Year Built: | 1958 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2020 |
| Historic Use: | university or college building |
| Architectural Style: | Other Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Concrete |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | Y |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | Built in 1958 about 15 miles west of Madison, the Pine Bluff Observatory is an astronomical observatory used by students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for instruction and research. The facility is a one-story building in a semicircular plan on a concrete foundation, with a brick exterior. A steel dome on a concrete base, which rises one story above the roofline, contains a 36-inch reflecting telescope with a light-collecting mirror for astronomical observations. Also located on the property is a smaller observatory for a Small Radio Telescope installed in 2012. This building is a square, one-story building with a brick exterior and projecting metal dome. Since its construction, the Pine Bluff Observatory has been, and continues to be, an important research facility for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The observatory was built in 1958, during the Space Race of the mid-twentieth century when there was an increased interest in astronomy and space exploration. The Observatory was built to replace the Washburn Observatory, whose facility and telescope (refracting with curved glass) were becoming obsolete as astronomers were using larger telescopes. Because the Pine Bluff Observatory is associated with the Space Race, an event that made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history, it is recommended eligible under Criterion A. The building is not associated with the lives of past significant persons and is therefore not eligible under Criterion B. The Pine Bluff Observatory retains its original design, materials, and function and is a distinctive example of an astronomical observatory built during the Space Race of the mid-twentieth century. Therefore, the building is recommended eligible under Criterion C. The observatory retains its historic and architectural integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. For these reasons, it is recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP and may warrant further investigation. |
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| Bibliographic References: | 1958a. “400 Visit U.W.’s New Pine Bluff Observatory.” Wisconsin State Journal, October 17, 1958, page 9. Accessed via Newspapers.com. 1958b. “Scope Dedication Set at Pine Bluff Tonight.” Wisconsin State Journal, June 30, 1958, page 3. Accessed via Newspapers.com. 2009. Arthur J. Dyer Observatory National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. January 29, 2009. Accessed via https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/weekly_features/DyerObservatory.pdf. 2010. Rose, Devin. “Just Ask Us: Is that observatory still used?” Madison. May 10, 2010. Accessed via https://madison.com/news/local/just-ask-us-is-that-observatory-still-used/article_8510d80a-a7e7-5f1e-9b0e-68c15a03157f.html 2012. “Pine Bluff Observatory SRT Installed.” University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Astronomy. December 13, 2012. Accessed via http://www.astro.wisc.edu/news-events/news/pine-bluff-observatory-srt-installed/. 2020a. “Pine Bluff Mirror Blank.” University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Astronomy. August 3, 2020. Accessed via http://www.astro.wisc.edu/about-us/department-history/. 2020b. “Pine Bluff Observatory.” University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Astronomy. August 3, 2020. Accessed via http://www.astro.wisc.edu/our-science/research-observatories/pine-bluff-obervatory/. 2020. Dane County Property Records |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |