Leander McCormick Observatory

This is the Leander McCormick Observatory at the University of Virginia, a building that has been in use since its dedication in 1885. The round brick structure, built in Romanesque Revival style, initially housed the world's second largest refractor telescope. The observatory is named after its primary donor—Leander James McCormick, who donated $78,000 toward its creation. McCormick was a native of Rockbridge County whose family patented an innovative mechanical reaper that became the basis of a huge manufacturing empire.

Citation: University of Virginia Visual History Collection, RG-30/1/10/011, prints09789. Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA