Fort Worth  

 Sundial: 937
State/Province:  Texas Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Horizontal Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 32° 42.653' N  97° 21.647' W
Location:
  • The dial is in a plaza located on the northern edge of the campus of Texas Christian University near the intersection of University Drive and West Cantey Street in front of TCU's Walsh Center for the Performing Arts.
 
Description:
  • This elegant horizontal dial is more than just a horizontal sundial. The designer, William Andrewes refers to this instrument as a "longitude dial". First designed by Franz Ritter in 1607, the dial plate contained a gnomonic map projection. The TCU dial has a map projection centered on Fort Worth. The dial is about 48 inches in diameter, made of black granite with excellent inset white marble for dial lines and a chapter ring delineated to the minute. An outer chapter ring gives the months of the year and corresponding minute correction of the Equation of Time. The gnomon is a thin rod with nodus to cast shadows on the map's tropic of Cancer, equator, and tropic of Capricorn. Other day lines record significant dates for Texas Christian University.

    The octagonal pedestal of limestone has open arches to view a meridian date line. When the sun is on the meridian, a sunbeam from a slit in the southern support of the pedestal projects light onto a line with date and zodiac house. In the corners of the octagon are symbols for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Surrounding the dial in a plaza is a large compass rose. There is a chapter ring at the edge of the compass rose inlaid with the distance to 196 capital cities and their azimuthal directions. At the north point is TCU's Horned Frog.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Texas Christian University
  • Time is too short for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice. But for those who love, time is not.

    Six plaques surround the pedestal giving the history of the longitude dial and how to correct for the equation of time.
  • Designer: William Andrewes
  • Builder: William Andrewes
  • Construction Date: Unveiled May 2015
 
References: Web Links:
  • The monumental sundial was commissioned by Joseph I. O'Neill III in honor of his wife Marion Jan Donnelly O'Neill

Attachments Available:

Last Revised: 2018-12-02 19:06