Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory Update

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • November 21, 2022

It has been a bit of time since I updated you on the conservation project at the MMO. Things are moving along although we are still confronted – as everyone else is – with supply chain issues. 


But, the mason has replaced most of the cellar lintels. The iron had rusted and started to cause shifting in the bricks. He has painstakingly dug them out and then replaced the iron lintel with steel. He will then fill them and re-brick them with the existing bricks. 


He has also been working on the main floors iron lintels. These have proved more of an issue for removal. The doors and windows in the Astronomical Study addition have large stones over them and then the lintel is found behind the stone. The stone, while smooth on the front is rough on the sides and back and when they filled in around and behind it with grout that rough stone really did a great job of adhering to the grout. And, they filled in from inside the building before it was finished so its packed and stuck in there very firmly. He has to work slowly and carefully so he doesn’t break the stone because it will be reused – and if it breaks we are never going to be able to match it. So, it’s a tough and slow process. And these stones over the windows and doors weight hundreds and hundreds of pounds so the weight is another issue.  You will note where he has dug out around the lintel over the door. He is trying to save all the brick to re-use it so it matches. And, our Observatory is made of three layers of brick – that is, it is three bricks deep.


This conservation work is funded with grants from the M. S. Worthington Foundation and the Community Preservation Act.


JNLF

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By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • September 14, 2026
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