Williams Observatory was built in 1924 to honor John H. Williams, a prominent Frederick banker, through a bequest from his daughter, M. Janet Williams. The observatory was dedicated in conjunction with the 1925 Commencement.
The building was renovated in 1985 and was used as a laboratory and teaching facility by students enrolled in astronomy. The observatory, the only one available for the study of astronomy in Western Maryland, features an 8-inch telescope lens built by Alvan Clark and Sons, an observation deck, classrooms and a library. The lens of the telescope was originally made for the Harvard College Observatory in the early 1870s and was used for some of the earliest photographic studies of stellar spectra. The telescope’s objective lens is still in excellent condition and, having been designed for visual rather than photographic use, is actually better for elementary astronomy than some modern refractors.
Hood opens the observatory to the community for special events or whenever favorable viewing conditions for planets or other popular sights are present.
