Old Naval Observatory facts for kids
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Old Naval Observatory
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 Location in Central Washington, D.C.
Location in the District of Columbia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 23rd Street and E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. |
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| Built | 1844 |
| Architect | James Gilliss |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000864 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 12, 1965 |
The Old Naval Observatory is a very old and important place in Northwest, Washington, D.C.. It's located at 23rd Street and E Street. This is where the United States Naval Observatory was located for almost 50 years, from 1844 to 1893. An observatory is a special building where scientists study stars, planets, and space.
The original building, built between 1839 and 1840, is still standing today. It is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical site. A special line called the Washington meridian of 1850 goes right through this observatory. For many years, the Navy's medical department, called the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, used the property. They moved out in 2012, and now the United States Department of State uses the area.
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A Place for Stargazing
The Old Naval Observatory was a busy place for studying space from 1844 to 1893. After that, a new and bigger U.S. Naval Observatory was built on Massachusetts Avenue.
Something amazing happened at this old site in 1877. Scientists here discovered the Moons of Mars! This was a huge discovery for astronomy.
Even after the observatory moved, the U.S. Navy kept the building and its grounds. For a few years, from 1894 to 1902, it was used as the Naval Museum of Hygiene.
A Center for Health and Medicine
Starting in 1903, a new building called the Naval Medical Hospital was built on the grounds. This hospital helped Navy personnel until 1942. Then, hospital services moved to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
The United States Public Health Service also had a laboratory here. This lab later became the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a very important group that does medical research. They moved to this campus in 1904. Several buildings were built for them over the years. In 1938, NIH moved to its own new campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
From 1942 until 2012, the Navy's medical department, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, was located at this facility.
During World War II, a secret group called the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was also on the campus. The OSS was a spy agency, and it later became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA stayed on the campus until 1961.
In 1963, some buildings were taken down to make way for the E Street Expressway, a major road.
A New Home for the State Department
Today, the grounds and the Old Naval Observatory building are not open to the public. The entire area, sometimes called "Navy Hill," is being taken over by the United States Department of State. This is happening because of a government plan called Base Realignment and Closure. The Navy has been moving out of the area.
In 2014, the Department of State began to expand into Navy Hill. Two architecture companies, Goody, Clancy and the Louis Berger Group, were hired to plan how to fix up the buildings on the 11.8-acre campus.
Images for kids
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The Old Naval Observatory building.
