South Hadley  

Sundial: 996
State/Province:  Massachusetts Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Vertical Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 42° 15.216' N  72° 34.602' W
Location:
  • Located on the south wall of the Mary E. Woolley Building on the campus of Mount Holyoke College. The large dial is about 25 feet above ground level hidden by a tree.
 
Description:
  • This vertical sundial declines slightly to the southwest in alignment with the building wall. The 1x1 meter dial is of concrete and built in the middle of the south wall. Because of its size and height at least 25 feet above ground, it was made to be seen at a distance. In 1916 when it was built, the land to the south was clear and many early photographs show the dial prominently on the south face One hundred years later many trees block the sunlight to this fine sundial. The dial is delineated in half-hour lines spanning from the 7:30am line in morning to the 6pm hour line in the evening. The hour lines are marked with Roman numerals. There are no solstice or equinox lines.

    The 1916 building was originally known as the Student Alumnae Building. In 1945 it was renamed the Mary E. Woolley Building.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Mount Holyoke College
  • On the dial face above the gnomon:
    "TRANSIT UMBRA PERMANET - LVX"
    (The shadow firmly moves [into] light)
  • Designer: unknown
  • Builder: unknown
  • Construction Date: 1916
 
Web Links:

Last Revised: 2019-10-28 18:47:31