That Thing Behind the Castle

Much mystery surrounds the building located behind Crouse College. For starters, i've never seen anyone go into or come out of the building, and as for as it's placement goes, it seems, well, a little out of place. Stuck in limbo between Crouse College and the Law School, what is it's story, and what are it's uses? I've come to realize is that with all this mystery floating around nobody really has taken much inquiry to the matter (or maybe everybody already knows???). History time.

It's Old
That building, dedicated Holden Observatory on November 18, 1887, was the second building to be built on campus (follow the Hall of Languages). After it's placement, by 1890, Syracuse University consisted of the Hall of Languages, Holden Observatory, Crouse College and the old library (Tolley). Holden Observatory was placed by Chancellor Sims "to provide an unimpeded view of the heavens."

It's Dedication
Announced in 1886, the building was gifted to Syracuse University in memory of Erastus Holden's son, Charles, a student of the University who had since passed due to a heart condition before graduation. Erastus was a Syracuse Coal Dealer and the first Vice President of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees. Erastus also donated $25,000 as an endowment for maintenance of the building. 

It's Design
The building was designed by Archimedes Russell, a local architect who also designed the other original Syracuse University buildings (with the exception of the Hall of Languages).
The building was built of Onondaga Limestone and outfitted with a state-of-the-art eight inch Alvan Clark & Sons telescope as well as a library, 3 inch reversible transit instrument, solar clock, micrometer, comet-seeker and spectroscope.

Don't be fooled, the building may look small from the outside, but it has a main floor, basement floor and a 30 ft. two-story tower with a rotating dome.

Here is a list of some of Russell's other works:
Archimedes Russell Architecture
It's Use
The facility was intended to be used for a research and teaching location, however after a few years of heavy use and instruction, maintenance on the buildings instruments fell behind and student population increased, rendering it unfit for up-and-coming research and class sizes, who would be cramped in the buildings tiny classrooms. To maintain it's use, physics professors moved their offices to the building, basically confirming it's disconnect form the public. 

The Move
In 1991, to make way for construction on what would soon be Eggers Hall, Syracuse University payed $200,000 to L.D. Dexheimer & Son Inc. to move the 320-ton building 190 feet southwest of it's original location, a process that took three days, using about 20 hydraulic dollies attached to a grid of steel beams connected beneath the observatory.

It's Current Use
In 2007, the building became the new home to The Office of Integrity. 

The Future of Holden
A renewed interest has been sparked with Holden. The building is currently planned to be reopen in January 2015 with improved facilities to help students learn about astronomy, starting with it's use as an astronomy recitation classroom.

Holden Observatory has faced a rocky road, but dedicated faculty and student's are continually fighting to keep it relevant.