Old Naval Observatory, view of rear wing, west side, 1975

ID: 641

This file appears in: Old Naval Observatory (National Observatory; Naval Museum of Hygiene; Naval Medical School): As the original National Observatory, this building was the home of many notable scientific achievements in its day.

Credit: Blanche Higgins Schroer, NPS, Historic Sites Survey

Old Naval Observatory (National Observatory; Naval Museum of Hygiene; Naval Medical School): As the original National Observatory, this building was the home of many notable scientific achievements in its day.

By The DC Historic Sites team

The original National Observatory was authorized by President Tyler in 1842 and completed in 1844 according to plans prepared by Lieutenant James Melville Gilliss. The observatory was the site of…