The Archivist’s Nook – CatholicU’s Lost Observatory

This Halloween marks 100 years since the fire that burned down the Catholic University Observatory.

Reverend George M. Searle

Built at the request of Rev. George M. Searle, the initial structure was completed in 1890 and stood at the then highest point of campus with the equatorial telescope base sitting exactly on the 77th meridian from Greenwich. There were immediately plans to expand the building to include a small library and additional space for tools and instruments to be used. Rev. Searle was the director of the astronomical observatory at Catholic U and among his many accomplishments it was here he observed the periodicity of the Holmes Comet for what is believed to be the first time. In addition to the 9-inch equatorial telescope built specifically for Catholic University, the observatory housed a meridian clock, sidereal clock, chronograph, chronometer, and a double image micrometer. These instruments were vital to the prestige of the growing astronomy department and the loss was felt for many years to follow.

Sketch of Telescope built for Catholic University

Unlike many of the other vanished buildings around campus, there is evidence of exactly where the observatory once stood. The base of the telescope can be found on the path across from Curley Hall next to Centennial Village.

In the January 18, 1925 issue of The Tower, there was a brief article titled “C.U. in need of Observatory.” At this point it was clear the students believed the observatory would be rebuilt and even better as it would be designed to accommodate the new advances in the field. Just over 10 years after the fire, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey erected a first-order triangulation station next to the remains of the observatory. In 1939,

Remains of the Observatory

Curley Hall went up on the land that was formerly Killion Field, leaving space so that a new observatory could still be built in the original location. In 1988, Centennial Village was constructed with care as to not disturb what became a historic landmark among the campus but, it did likely eliminate the chances of a new observatory being built in that location.

With The Tower not publishing until mid-November in 1924 due to staffing issues, one of the only accounts of the event comes from the 1924-1925 edition of The Cardinal Daily Diary. October 31 states “Big pep meeting for the Maryland game, with a bonfire, snake dance and many joyful huzzas. Some nut from outside spoiled it all, however by dropping an oil station and a gross of matches in the observatory.” A month after the fire, the senior classes met and came to the conclusion with certainty that no student was responsible for the fire.

Class in front of the Observatory

The question remains today of how the devastating fire started on this fretful Halloween night. While this author finds it unlikely to be an ill-fated prank by Maryland who were expected to win the football game the following day with great ease, the yearbook certainly suggests the possibility.  Perhaps things got a bit too wild at the bonfire or some type of electrical issue sent the building up in flames. Although it seems unlikely that we will discover the ignition point 100 years later, it is almost certain that rumors surrounding the incident will live on for many more years to come.