Elgin National Watch Company Observatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Elgin National Watch Company Observatory
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 312 Watch St., Elgin, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | George Hunter |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000976 |
| Added to NRHP | August 16, 1994 |
The Elgin National Watch Company Observatory is a special historic building in Elgin, Illinois, in the U.S.. It was built in 1910 for the Elgin National Watch Company. This company made watches.
The observatory helped the company make very accurate watches. It could measure time down to a tenth of a second. This made Elgin watches super precise. The building was so important that the company even changed its motto.
By the 1950s, the company faced tough competition. They couldn't keep up with new wristwatch makers. The observatory was then given to a local school district. It became known as the School District U-46 Planetarium/Observatory. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
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Why Was the Elgin Observatory Built?
Elgin, Illinois, was first settled in 1834. A railroad came to the city in 1850. This helped the local economy grow. In 1864, some watchmakers decided to start their own company. They called it the National Watch Company.
The city of Elgin was chosen for the factory. The first watch model was a big success. Watches were very important during the American industrial age. People needed accurate timing for work. The company became so famous that it changed its name. In 1874, it became the Elgin National Watch Company.
By 1907, the company was huge. They sold over 600,000 watches each year. This was almost one-third of all watches sold. About 3,200 people worked there.
How Did the Observatory Help Make Accurate Time?
Before time zones, cities had different times. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt wanted better time standards. He asked the U.S. Bureau of Standards to help.
In 1910, the Elgin National Watch Company built its observatory. They wanted their watches to have scientifically perfect time. Dr. William W. Payne was the first director.
The observatory used a special clock called Riefler Clock No. 220. It measured sidereal time. This is time based on the stars. Astronomers watched stars through a telescope. They pressed a button when a star crossed a wire. This sent a signal to the clock.
This star time was compared to solar time. Solar time is based on the sun. The result was a clock accurate to a hundredth of a second. In the factory, workers heard a sounder. It ticked off the seconds. This helped them set watches perfectly.
After the observatory opened, Elgin adopted a new slogan. It was: "Elgin Takes The Time From The Stars And Puts It In Your Pocket." The observatory also collected weather data. It had thermometers, barometers, and a rain gauge. This data was sent to Springfield, Illinois. It also appeared in local newspapers. The company cared about humidity. Too much humidity could harm delicate watch parts.
What Happened to the Watch Company?
The Great Depression in the 1930s hurt the company. After World War II, Swiss companies made many pocket watches. They became very popular.
The biggest change came in 1950. A company called United States Time Corporation made cheap wristwatches. These watches were so cheap that people would just buy a new one instead of fixing an old one.
The Elgin National Watch Company stopped making watches in the late 1950s. In 1960, the observatory was given to the Elgin Area School District U46. The school district added a planetarium in 1963. This was the first school planetarium in Illinois.
Donald Tuttle was the first planetarium director. He worked there from 1963 to 1985. Gary L. Kutina became the director in 1985. He helped get the observatory added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
How Was the Observatory Designed?
The Elgin National Watch Company Observatory is on Watch and Raymond Streets. It's two blocks from where the factory used to be. The building was built on a gravel base. This helped absorb vibrations. Concrete supports went 60 feet deep. These held the telescope and clocks steady.
The building has three main parts: the entrance, the observatory, and the office.
The Entrance and Chronograph Room
The entrance connects the other two parts. It has walls made of lath and plaster. There's a small bathroom here. Upstairs is the chronograph room. One of the special Riefler clocks was here. A switchboard sent signals from the observatory to offices in Chicago.
A Warner & Swasey chronograph was also in this room. It recorded star observations. Two other Riefler clocks were once here, but they are gone now.
The Observatory Dome
A steel door leads to the observatory part. Inside, there's a staircase and another small bathroom. Special airlock-style doors lead to a temperature-controlled room. Two of the main Riefler clocks were kept here. This room had 58 light bulbs on the floor. They turned on and off to keep the temperature at a constant 81 degrees Fahrenheit. This was important for the clocks' accuracy.
Above this room is a large telescope. The observatory part is a two-story, concrete, eight-sided building. It has a metal dome on top. A 3-foot opening in the dome allowed the telescope to see the stars. Heavy steel shutters could close this opening. Each shutter weighed half a ton. It was said that a child could open them easily.
The Office and Sleeping Room
The office part is to the west. The first floor was 15 by 15 feet. It had windows on the south and west walls. Shelves and cabinets from its original use are still there. The floor is hardwood, and the walls are plaster.
The second floor was a sleeping room for astronomers. It had a bed and a sink. In 1926, this room became a radio room. It was used to send short-wave signals. A vintage 1947 Collins transmitter is still in the room. A staircase leads to the tin roof. A decorative metal rail is around the roof.
The Planetarium Addition
In 1963, a planetarium was added to the back of the building. It is 39 by 27 feet. It has a special aluminum dome. A Spitz A-3-P Star Projector shows the stars. Up to 65 people can sit inside the planetarium.
