Observational astronomy has a history at Middlebury going back to the 19th century. In fact, Old Chapel, which was completed in 1836, was “crowned with an octagonal Greek Revival cupola that functioned as the college’s first observatory” (Andres & Johnson, Buildings of Vermont, 2014, p. 126). Over the last two centuries, astronomical observatories have observed the skies from various locations across campus in support of the College’s academic mission.

Romance of the Skies: Middlebury College Observatory, Middlebury College MiddPoints Weekly, Samuel Cartwright, 2016 April 13

Prof. John Haller Builds Telescope and Observatory. The Middlebury Campus, January 27, 1937

Star Gazing. Middlebury College News Letter, March 1, 1937

Would You Try to Reach Jupiter with a Rig Like This? Middlebury College Newsletter, Jul 1, 1971

Middlebury College Observatory, 1950s; 2016 April 6
Photography: Special Collections & Archives

with special thanks to Samuel Cartwright ’18, Rebekah Irwin, and Special Collections & Archives