Renovated Maria Mitchell Observatory gazes into the future

Although the Maria Mitchell Observatory retains its 1860s feel from the outside, the inside has been renovated to keep up with modern technology and design while still keeping its significance as a National Historic  Landmark.

The Maria Mitchell Observatory was the first building completed on the Vassar College campus in 1864. It is named after its first inhabitant, Professor Maria Mitchell, who lived and worked in the building as a member of Vassar's first faculty. Mitchell was not only an active and successful astronomer, but was also engaged in politics and women's issues.
While the original observatory was equipped with teaching, research and domestic spaces, the newly renovated observatory is sure to please current Vassar students and staff alike.

The recently renovated Maria Mitchell Observatory now boasts 11 offices, two classrooms, a seminar room under the dome and a lounge. It is home to the Education Department, as well as a Community Outreach Center on the first floor that employs three individuals doing liaison work for the Department, according to Chair of the Education Department and Associate Professor of Education Christopher Bjork. 

Kirchhoff Construction, along with architects RM Kliment and Frances Halsband, completed the project. The construction was undertaken after "an initial increase in the budget" due to unforeseen obstacles regarding the original brick walls and mortar joints of the dome, as well as other difficulties with the infrastructure, according to Thomas Allen, Executive Director of Buildings and Grounds Services, Facilities Planning and Construction. 

When the initial decision was made to renovate the building, the Office of the Dean of Faculty was looking for "a small department that could use this [new] space," according to Vice President of Finance and Administration Elizabeth Eismeier. 

The main concern was maintaining the historical character of the building. With the construction complete, Eismeier said, "You get the sense of the old [building], but it doesn't overpower the new function."

Original instruments have been preserved and some are currently displayed, such as a large clock located in one of the classrooms. There is also a sizeable mural located in the first floor lobby showing the history of Mitchell and the Maria Mitchell Observatory. 

Bjork says that those involved in the planning process "were particularly committed to recognizing the important contributions of Mitchell" and that this mural is "the most striking example of that recognition."

Preservation of the building's history was not the only goal of the renovation. The classrooms are also equipped with brand new technology, including a new television monitor and projector. This gives professors the ability to include various types of media to enhance their classes, an advantage that is not guaranteed in classrooms all over campus. Assistant Professor of Education Colette Cann described the room as "completely wired for all your technological/pedagogical purposes."

Bjork pointed out that before being moved to the Maria Mitchell Observatory, the Education Department was located in the back corner of Blodgett Hall, where faculty members were often forced to share offices and even utilize closets as office space. Administrative Assistant to the Education Department Jessica Leonard said that she had to share her old office in Blodgett with mailboxes and printers. She said that the new space "has made everything more organized" and that because of the "bright" atmosphere, many members of the Education Department are "happier to come into work."

Cann, who teaches a class on the second floor in one of the classrooms, said, "It is bright and airy—[it's] really a privilege for me to teach here." 

Once the decision was made to move the Education Department from Blodgett to the Maria Mitchell Observatory, Bjork said, "We were involved all along the way" and that members of the Education Department were invited to input opinions on how the space would be organized and used, "down to the furniture."

At the beginning of construction, Bjork voiced his wish that, because of the Department's new location, more students and faculty members would take time to stop by and learn more about it. Although the number of visitors has not turned out to be as large as expected, Bjork suspects that students and faculty are unaware of the completion of the project or are unsure whether they have access to the building.

"We encourage students and faculty from other departments to visit whenever they want," he said.  

Cann said that she has seen a number of visitors come by the new building and joked that, because the offices all have glass walls, "Visitors are able to really check out the space and see if we're on task."

Many feel as though the new space is a sign of Vassar's recognition of the continuously growing Education Department. According to Bjork, "Education students feel that the building is a sign of respect for teaching and for what they're doing. The College has invested so much in the Department."