Thanks to the effort of Herman A. Fischer,
Sr. the first observatory at Wheaton College was acquired for roughly $2,000 from L. F. Culver in October of
1890. With the 800 pound telescope, the 16-foot dome was carried from
Harvey, Illinois, by two teams of horses. Officially the Alumni
Observatory, due to financial support from alums, it was commonly known as the "Lemon," thanks to its
peculiar shape and bright color. The Lemon was eventually replaced in
1972 and it was sold to Honey Rock for $525. The current observatory
and cause for the removal of the Lemon was built that same year on the
roof of Armerding Hall, where it housed a new 12-inch telescope and a
custom 8-inch Newtonian reflector telescope, which was given to the
college by H.S. Miller of Naperville. The Meyer Science Center now features a state-of-the-art observatory on its roof. |