Old Naval Observatory

Old Naval Observatory
Old Naval Observatory is located in Central Washington, D.C.
Old Naval Observatory
Old Naval Observatory is located in the District of Columbia
Old Naval Observatory
Old Naval Observatory is located in the United States
Old Naval Observatory
Location23rd Street and E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°53′42″N 77°03′05″W / 38.895103°N 77.0514428°W / 38.895103; -77.0514428 (Old Naval Observatory)
Built1844 (1844)
ArchitectJames Melville Gilliss
NRHP reference No.66000864
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHLJanuary 12, 1965[2]

The Old Naval Observatory is a historic site at 23rd and E Street in Northwest, Washington, D.C. It is where the United States Naval Observatory was located from 1844 to 1893, when it moved to its present grounds. The original observatory building, built 1839-40, still stands, and is a designated National Historic Landmark as of 1965.[2] The Washington meridian of 1850 passes through the Observatory.

The campus around the old observatory is split into two parts: the Potomac Annex to the east (where the observatory stands) and the E Street Complex, also known as Navy Hill, to the west.[3] These two parts are separated geographically as the Potomac Annex is at the top of the hill, while the E Street Complex is farther down. The E Street Complex is also designated as a National Historical Landmark as of December 14, 2016.[4]

The campus for many years housed the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, which moved out in 2012. The property has been taken over by the State Department.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Old Naval Observatory". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  3. ^ Potomac Hill: Campus Preservation, Design, and Development Guidelines (FINAL) (PDF). US General Services Administration. July 2015.
  4. ^ Hendrix, Steve (2023-05-24). "Birthplace of the CIA and U.S. spycraft just made the National Register of Historic Places". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2024-07-26.