Basic Site Details
| Name: | Observatory |
| City or county: | Glasgow |
| Country: | Scotland |
| Parish: | |
| Status: | |
| Grid ref: | |
| Notes: | Sir Andrew Ure of the Glasgow Society for Promoting Astromonical Science and Webster, architect of the Royal Institution, drew up plans, critically examined and altered several times, for a two-part observatory to cost an estimated £1500. There was to be a central "scientific" portion opening from a lobby, containing three stone pillars, one 3 m high for Troughton's mural circle, a square one for the clock and a third, 0.5 m, for an equatorial to be housed under an octagonal cupola. The subscribers' "popular" observatory on the east wing was to have a porch leading to a flat roof surrounded by a parapet and having a 1.5 m turret for the camera obscura, a bigger one than at Edinburgh. The west wing was to be the observer's residence. The builder was a Mr Aitken. Ure returned from London in August 1809 with a pocket chronometer from Troughton and an achromatic. By now the target figure of 250 subscribers was approaching, yielding a share capital of £5000, and a site was chosen on the Garnethill, a drumlin just west of the town. The Directors bought small items such as a pair of globes and Russell's moon maps then after some hesitation decided on a Herschel telescope which, although very expensive and "not absolutely necessary" was nevertheless a great prestige piece. The Society obtained a Seal of Cause from the magistrates, erecting them into a corporate body with the privilege of holding heritable property. The foundation stone of the ornate Egyptian-style building was laid with solemn ceremony in 1810, following a commemoration sermon by Dr Lockhart. Under the stone was placed a plate inscribed : MAY XI MDCCCX GEORGE III L YEAR THIS BUILDING, SUGGESTED BY THE LOVE OF SCIENCE ERECTED BY INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIPTION INTENDED TO PROMOTE THE STUDY OF ASTRONOMY AND TO RECORD OBSERVATIONS THE MOST INTERESTING IT IS HOPED WILL LONG REMAIN APPROPRIATED TO ITS DESTINED OBJECT AND A MAGNIFICENT MONUMENT OF THE SCIENTIFIC TASTE, AND PUBLIC SPIRIT OF THE CITY OF GLASGOW AND OF THE PRESENT TIMES Extract from David A Gavine. |
Building Type Classification
| The building is classified under the following categories: | |||
| Classification | Original classification? | Notes | |
 | Observatory | ||
Events
| The following date-based events are associated with this building: | ||||
| From | To | Event type | Notes | |
| 1810 | Build/construction | ||
People
Design and Construction
| The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column. | ||||||
| Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes | |
| Thomas Webster | A | 1810 | |||
Clients
| The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | ||
| Name | Notes | |
| Glasgow Society for Promoting Astronomical Science | |
References
Bibliographic References
| The following books contain references to this building: | ||||||
| Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | |
| Chapman | 1822 | Picture of Glasgow | p166 | ||
| Colvin, Howard | 2008 | A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 | London: YUP. 4th edition | ||
| Gavine, David A | Astronomy in Scotland 1745-1900 | ||||