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.

 

Tennessee

 
Buffalo Valley Tennessee USA Horizontal Dial Dial 1013
This monumental size sundial is called "Marking Time: and spreads over an area 100 x 50 feet (30 x 15 m). The gnomon is a 12 foot (3.6 m) tall welded stainless steel structure. The last several feet of the gnomon is a thin metal bar ending in a sharp point. Multiple time markers are arranged in hour lines from 6am to 6pm. These marks have the names of all 95 Tennessee counties and the noon line has only one county, Davidson, in tribute to the state capital in Nashville, Davidson Co. The large concrete base of the gnomon has fossil type imprints on the surface.
 
 
Chattanooga Tennessee USA Obelisk or Vertical Gnomon Dial 670
An 18 foot diameter horizontal dial of concrete and pebble with a cast bronze figure of a boy with outstretched arm, the 8 foot high finger tip of which serves as a point-in-space gnomon. The dial face includes hour marks and declination lines. An open book plaque on the bronze statue base gives instructions.
 
 
Collegedale Tennessee USA Cylindrical Dial Dial 113
ca 6'cylindrical segment, about 3' high Stainless steel Large equatorial, corrected for longitude. Nodus is a hole on a horizontal gnomon rod running E/W across face. Can compensate for DST by shifting dial via bolts/slots in base. Solstice lines run along top/bottom edge of cylinder. Built by Fabricators Inc., Chattanooga TN
 
 
Hermitage Tennessee USA Horizontal Dial Dial 1055
The gnomon consists of two complete horizontal stabilizer wings from a Boeing 727 jet, arranged in a sculpture called "Clear for Landing". The dial is 72 feet (22m) in diameter. The hour markers are Roman numerals in granite stone blocks. The hour lines were laid out using a scale model mounted on a heliodon and set for the summer solstice. The leading shadow of the vertical sculture marks the time. The planes landing at Nashville airport serve as the backdrop to the dial. When the sun is due East-West, the wings form a diamond, allowing shadows to fall through the markers onto the inlaid concrete disk.
 
 
Knoxville Tennessee USA Horizontal Dial Dial 166
78" w x 168" h x 78" d Steel, brass & etched glass As the sun penetrates the building a shadow is cast from the gnomon onto the 1 inch thick laminated glass which has hour lines etched into its surface. The time is viewed from the underside of the dial. A deep carved mountain landscape is artificially lighted in the lower section.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Vertical Dial Dial 425
A 6 x 7 foot vertical dial declining 16.4 deg east of south. The dial of limestone is integral to the building with a near square face, engraved lines and a small triangular gnomon. Hour marks are from 6am to 4pm, labeled between long hour lines. Solar declination lines are shown as dotted lines for the zodiac, including solstices and equinox. This dial was on the 2022 NASS Conference dial tour of Nashville.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Analemmatic Dial Dial 766
A 16 x 12 foot analemmatic dial placed in the Experience Center of the 200 acre Ellington Agricultural Center. Dial is built of paver stones flush to the surroundings with painted inset circular hour marker paver stones and rectangular paver stones for the central date line. Directions for use are painted on the date line.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Equatorial Dial Dial 853
The equatorial dial made of aluminum operates on a unique principle. The equatorial time ring is allowed to rotate. Fixed to it on the upper ring section is a small hole that shines to the ring below. On the lower ring section is a plate with an engraved analemma, extending +/- 23.44 deg from the equator. The whole assembly is rotated until the sunlight spot falls on the analemma (with monthly marks to avoid ambiguity). One tells time using 5-minute time marks on the upper section of the equatorial ring read by one of two indicators either as central standard or daylight savings time.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Polyhedral Dial Dial 1051
The dial is overgrown with lichen and stained with dirt. Underneath this rather shabby exterior is a fine polyhedral sundial with ten hemispherical dials arranged in a dodecahedron. Each dial is 8 inches in diameter fitted with a quarter-inch thick bronze gnomon. The gnomons are set in a common direction for the North Celestial Pole of approximately 51 deg latitude. The design and latitude leading to the the conclusion it is a copy of an 18th century English sundial. The dial is similar to NASS #27 in Hartford, CT. which was originally located at The Abbey, Storrington, Sussex south of London. The Nashville dial sits on an ornate flower-motif pillar approximately 8 feet high. Sitting on top of the dial is a shield and rampart lion, similar to the Hartford-Storrington Abbey sundial.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Horizontal Dial Dial 1052
A hexagonal shaped brass dial 9.5 inches (24cm) . Gnomon appears set for 34 deg and is bent to one side. The dial plate is marked in 15 minute intervals with Roman numeral hour marks. The dial is heavily corroded. Dial sets on cylindrical limestone pedestal with a hexagonal cornice top.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Armillary Sphere Dial 1053
A brass armillary sphere 3.5 feet (1.1m) in diameter with plates holding Roman numerals for each hour from 6am to 6pm. The outside of the equatorial band contains frieze symbols of the zodiac. The dial rests on a globe of stars. Limestone and cement plinth.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Horizontal Dial Dial 1057
Bronze 14 inch (36cm) horizontal dial. Arabic numerals mark hours with half and quarter hour marks. A simple solid triangular gnomon, set to 35 deg. On the pedestal there is a hand with a pointing finger, showing the way to the grave site of James Robertson and Dr. Felix Robertson, his son.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Horizontal Dial Dial 1058
Bronze horizontal dial, 14" (36 cm) diameter. Plain gnomon with hole in it, set to 37 deg. Hour lines with half and quarter hour marks. Arabic numbers mark the hours from 5Am to 7PM. Dial was originally erected in Centennial Park to commemorate one of Nashville's founders. Later moved to his grave site.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Equatorial Dial Dial 1059
30 inch (76cm) black iron armillary sphere. Roman numerals mark the hours. Gnomon is a classic rod and arrow motif. Sits on a brick pedestal.
 
 
Nashville Tennessee USA Armillary Sphere Dial 1069
This armillary sphere is based on a Chinese design with an equatorial ring containing Arabic hour marks but the meridian ring exists only below a longitudinal ring set to the dial's latitude. The dial presents Tennessee's identity and is dedicated to the school children of Tennessee. 4 copper columns support the dial, honoring the Greek and Roman tradition of placing a sundial in the center of a garden. The capital and base are cast bronze and the foundation is Tennessee crab orchard limestone. Surrounding the base are 5 tomato plants, the State fruit. 3 are enameled red to represent the three stars in the State flag. Sitting on the base is the eastern box turtle, State reptile. Branches from a tulip poplar, the State tree, extend from the north end of the gnomon and a mockingbird, the State bird, sits in the branches. The branches are made of forged bronze and the leaves are copper, cut by hand, then repousséd or shaped by hammering on the reverse side, then enameled. The mockingbird is made of raised and repousséd copper with enamel for color. The legs are bronze for strength.