Selected Sundials of North America

This is a selected listing of sundials in the North American Sundial Society Registry. Click on any dial thumbnail picture or city name to display the full dial description with additional information and images.

District of Columbia

	Georgetown	District of Columbia	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 798
	A vertical dial, perhaps one foot square, above the front door of the Georgetown University Astronomical Observatory (the Hayden Observatory). The dial face has Roman hour numerals near its perimeter.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 256
	Octagonal bronze horizontal dial, mounted just above the ground level. Designed by Richard Schmidt of the USNO staff and cast by Alex Bigler of Equestrian Forge celebrates the 100th anniversary of the move of the USNO to its present site at Observatory Circle. The USNO was founded in 1830. Public, but by appointment only (202-762-1438).
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 880
	This simple bronze sundial about 12 inches in diameter sits on a 3-foot fluted plinth made from Indiana limestone. Embossed hour lines extend from 5am to 7pm delineated every 15 minutes. Surrounding the hour chapter are Roman numerals with the noon hour marked by "0". The gnomon is very attractive, with a bird ensconced between the style and base. The dial was given to Howard University by the Lampados Club of Alpha Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in 1929 to honor Benjamin Banneker, 18th century astronomer, surveyor and executing architect of the District of Columbia.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 850
	This horizontal dial was commissioned by the District of Columbia Department of General Services for the newly renovated River Terrace Educational Campus. The mosaic dial is installed within a 20 ft diameter concrete plaza. The dial face is a beautifully colored spectrum of Italian Piccolo porcelain 1-inch mosaic tiles encompassing a circle 8 ft in diameter. Embedded in the mosaic chapter ring are 7-inch aluminum Arabic numbers marking the hours from 6am to 6pm and just within are letters marking the cardinal points. The aluminum gnomon is 4 ft. long and 2.83 ft tall.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Armillary Sphere	Dial 588
	A 20 inch diameter bronze armillary on a four foot pedestal. Roman hour numerals from 3 AM to 9 PM.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Gnomonic or Projection Dial	Dial 491
	With a bit of whimsy at the end of each day for over two years, Dr. James Griffith marked the position of a ray of sunlight on a wall that entered from a west window overlooking the Potomac river. The result is an analemma, tracing the sun's position at 4:10 pm E.S.T. throughout the seasons. Dr. Griffith was a chemist, but as written on a plaque next to the analemma, "Exactly what this has to do with chemistry per se is not perfectly clear, but Viva Principia Scientifica!"
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 316
	A horizontal dial 26 inches in diameter with a 9 inch gnomon. Has hour and half hour lines from 5 am to 7pm with 10 minute marks. Made of chocolate sandstone. South of the gnomon is an engraving of two children walking under a tree. Designed by John Carmichael
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Equatorial Dial	Dial 297
	Bronze 36 in. sundial titled "Garden of Eden". Smithsonian notes: "In Garden of Eden Sundial, the long stick would indicate the time by casting a shadow on the numbers that line the inside of the sphere. Marie Louise Speed commissioned this depiction of the Garden of Eden to decorate private grounds surrounding her estate outside Louisville, Kentucky. In the scene, Adam and Eve grasp the fruit of knowledge that will drive them from paradise. Manship patterned Adam’s hair on the serpent’s scales to emphasize man’s fall from grace."
	Washington	District of Columbia	United States	Armillary Sphere	Dial 284
	The Noyes armillary sphere was donated by Bertha Noyes in honor of her sister, Edith. Made of copper and bronze, the 6-foot armillary had an equatorial band with symbols of the zodiac, a meridian circle and arctic & antarctic circles. A winged cherub — a putto — stood in the center. The dial sat upon a octagonal polished green granite base.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Armillary Sphere	Dial 257
	The bronze armillary sphere dial is unremarkable yet is oriented accurately and is complete. About 2 feet in diameter. Hour numerals are Roman and show 5 AM to 7PM. It commemorates a longtime gallery official.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 34
	A cathedral landmark. 6 foot rectangular crypt with a 2 foot circular horizontal dial in bronze. Adjoining the dial is a cross noon marker that casts its shadow onto the crypt with major Christian holidays marked through the year. Gnomon has a folded shape of 2 cm width but the hour lines form only one dial center although the space at noon gap is 1 cm.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 218
	Horizontal dial 12 in. square designed and built by David Shayt and David Todd of the Smithsonian Institution. Roman numerals, 5AM-7PM. Subdivided into 15 minute increments. Also has compass rose. Dial sits atop a rectangular granite pedestal.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 210
	Circular horizontal dial 20 in. diameter cast in bronze. Has Roman numerals at hours and 15 minute marks. Gnomon missing from dial, but kept by groundskeeper, as it will not stay in place. Was temporarily re-installed for the NASS tour in 1995. The dial is modern, honoring George Donald Meid for service to the National Academy. Dial is mounted atop a concrerte cylindrical post.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 208
	Large, ground level horizontal dial 16 ft. in diameter with 49 in high stepped hollow painted-green metal gnomon that is 5 ft 16 in long. Roman hour numerals with hour lines from 4:30 AM to 9:30 PM. Gnomon structure recalls the much larger Indian observatory dials. An appropriate poetic passage, once bolted to the gnomon, has disappeared.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 207
	Vertical bronze dial with Arabic numerals and long cast sunburst gnomon. On oblong sandstone. Dial is 60-80 feet up on an octagonal power plant smokestack. It is difficult to read, but safe from vandalism. School dated 1928. Similar to Eastern High School (#202).
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 206
	Sandstone Vertical declining dial, with gnomon offset to account for it. Above doors to rear terrace of admissions building. Arabic hour numerals with half hour lines. Carved hourglasses on both sides frame the dial. Brass compass rose set into the brick terrace below suggests the general alignment of both house and dial.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Armillary Sphere	Dial 205
	Very nicely armillary sphere about 3 ft. diameter, with equatorial, meridional and hour circles. Roman hour numerals from 5 AM to 7 PM. One of Washington DC's cleanest examples of a working armillary sphere. Erected by the Georgetown Garden Club in 1956 in tribute to Sarah Louisa Rittenhouse. Dial is placed atop a sandstone pillar.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 204
	Horizontal dial about 16 inch square made of bronze. Gnomon is 4.125 inch high, 5 inch long. Below gnomon is motto, "Horas non numero nisi serenas" (I only count sunny hours). House was built in 1805 and is now open to the public as a museum. Years before this property was opened to the public, a family member brought this dial from Crossbasket Castle in Scotland, the family seat. The lengthy inscription is probably a later addition, since it is unlikely that they would be quoting Whittier in Scotland. The gnomon angle is 39? 30', probably made for the Washington DC location. However, the dial plate has a latitude of about 48? N, certainly not Scotland. What is the true origin of this dial?
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Horizontal Dial	Dial 203
	In the Bishop's garden is a weathered 13th C. capital on which sits a 41 cm diameter horizontal brass dial. It is engraved with "Tho Heath, London" and the year 1712. On the noon line is the indication "Hammersmith", a location on the (then) outskirts of London at 51:30N 0:14W. Heath is one of the Grocers' Company mathematical instrument makers Many of Heath's dials have a coat of arms.
	Washington	District of Columbia	USA	Vertical Dial	Dial 202
	Vertical dial with bronze Roman numerals and trefoil pierced gnomon on square sandstone. Dial is on south facade over main entry, facing East Capitol Street. School is dated 1923 and architect Snowden Ashford. Elevation above entrance is approximately 30 ft. making dial hard to read. Large projecting towers place dial in shadow in early morning and late afternoon. Similar to McKinley High School dial (#207).