National Historic Landmark · observatory · Gaithersburg, Maryland

Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory

Historic district in Maryland, United States in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Added to the National Register in 1985, and a National Historic Landmark.

National Historic LandmarkListed 19851 contributing buildings
Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory
Photos via Wikimedia Commons

What it is

Wikipedia · Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory

The Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory is a historic astronomical observatory on DeSellum Avenue in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It was established in 1899 as part of a system of six International Latitude Observatories to precisely measure the wobble of the Earth's rotating axis. The observatory building and adjacent monuments were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989 as a testament to international scientific cooperation. The observatory was taken out of service in 1982 after automation eliminated the need for human observations; the property is now owned by the city.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

National Register of Historic Places
Property typeHistoric district
Address100 DeSellum Ave, Gaithersburg, MD
CountyMontgomery County
ListedJul 12, 1985
Reference number85001578
Type of placeobservatory
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 buildings, 1 structures, 5 objects

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

Access not on record
Address100 DeSellum Ave, Gaithersburg, MD
Coordinates39.13671, -77.19878 · Directions ↗
Nearest national park unitChesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park · 10 mi · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbySwains Lock Hiker-Biker Campsite 8 mi · Marsden Tract Group Campsite 11 mi · Carderock Recreation Area Pavilion 11 mi
A district listing covers the streets, not the doors. Walk it freely; the buildings inside are as private as they ever were.

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Map

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Reference

Exists because it is true

Sources

Location, dates, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 85001578. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.