Perry North in Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Allegheny Observatory

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, May 7, 2011

1. Allegheny Observatory Marker

Inscription. Part of the University of Pittsburgh. Chartered 1860; located here since 1912. At the original site nearby, Professor Samuel P. Langley conducted experiments that would lead to the first sustained, mechanically powered flight in 1896.

Erected 1979 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Education • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1860.

Location. 40° 28.961′ N, 80° 1.1′ W. Marker is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is in Perry North. Marker is on Riverview Avenue, 0.2 miles west of Perrysville Avenue (U.S. 19). Located in Riverview Park in Observatory Hill Section of Pittsburgh. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pittsburgh PA 15215, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Riverview United Presbyterian Church (approx. ¼ mile away); History of Observatory Hill (approx. half a mile away); In Memory of John (Jack) Brennan (approx. 0.9 miles away); First Aluminum Observatory Dome (approx. 1.2 miles away); St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church

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(approx. 1.4 miles away); Twenty-Four Residents (approx. 1.6 miles away); St. John Neumann (approx. 1.6 miles away); Martha Graham (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pittsburgh.

Also see . . .
1. Allegheny Observatory. (Submitted on May 7, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
2. Allegheny Observatory - Behind the Marker. (Submitted on June 29, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
3. Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. (Submitted on March 25, 2013, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, May 7, 2011

2. Allegheny Observatory Marker

Observatory in background

Allegheny Observatory image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, May 7, 2011

3. Allegheny Observatory

The Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Thomas M. Jarrett, circa 1960

4. The Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park

Courtesy: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

Photographed By Unknown, circa 1950

5. Allegheny Observatory

Courtesy: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

Allegheny Observatory luminaries, photographed on the observatory's steps image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, circa 1915

6. Allegheny Observatory luminaries, photographed on the observatory's steps

Founded for both private entertainment and public education, the Allegheny Observatory soon became a leading center of astronomical research. The men in this photo, taken on the steps of the observatory around 1915, include Harvard astronomer Edward C. Pickering (standing in the center), telescope maker John A. Brashear (to the right of Pickering), and observatory benefactor William Thaw (seated to Pickering's left) Courtesy: Allegheny Observatory, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh

The Allegheny Observatory's 30 inch Thaw Telescope image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Unknown, circa 1913

7. The Allegheny Observatory's 30 inch Thaw Telescope

In the early 1910s, Brashear Optical Co. designed and built the 30 inch Thaw telescope for the Allegheny Observatory. Designed for photographic use, the telescope has collected more than 110,000 exposures and helped set the distance scale of the universe. Courtesy: Allegheny Observatory, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh

Allegheny Observatory Historic Landmark plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, March 24, 2013

8. Allegheny Observatory Historic Landmark plaque

Historic Landmark
Allegheny Observatory
1896-1912
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 881 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 7, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 4, 5. submitted on July 7, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 6, 7. submitted on July 26, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 8. submitted on March 25, 2013, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.