First Aluminum Observatory Dome
On the hill just west of here, the first known astronomical observatory with an aluminum dome was erected in 1930. Designed & built by Pittsburgh amateur astronomers led by Leo J. Scanlon, the Valley View Observatory stood beside his Van Buren St. home. In the ensuing years, many of the world's observatories were built with such domes. Scanlon's shiny metal dome became a model for the popular image of a modern observatory.
Marker is at the intersection of McKnight Rd. (U.S. 19) and Westview Ave, on the right when traveling south on McKnight Rd..
Courtesy hmdb.org
