Linfield Observatory

45 SE Brumback St.  |  Built 1894

In 1894, a generous bequest from the estate of former McMinnville College Trustee A.W. Kinney funded
the construction of an observatory along with a six-inch refracting telescope. Made by Queen & Co. of
Philadelphia in 1888, at the time, the instrument ranked among the finest north of California’s Lick
Observatory and served as one of the earliest professional-grade telescopes in the Pacific Northwest.
The total cost: $1,500 for the two-story wooden-frame building and $1,000 for the telescope.

When first built, the observatory stood alone in an open field southeast of Pioneer Hall. Over the
decades, as the college grew and became Linfield, dormitories, a gymnasium, and a music conservatory
gradually surrounded it. A spreading maple tree nearly blocked views of the stars. The college faculty
and its students cherished the little building – the second-oldest structure on campus.

In 1963, when trustees planned a new science building and set the observatory on a retrogressive course
toward demolition, students rose up and reversed its fate. Work crews disassembled the structure,
stored the telescope and dome, jacked up the building onto logs. Students rolled it south of Dillon Hall
(today’s Withnell Commons) using a relay of short logs. Later, Mr. and Mrs. S.B. Nicoll, both college
alumni, funded bricks to clad the exterior, while Professor Win Dolan expertly remounted the telescope
with perfect alignment. In 1964, the telescope’s value was $10,000.

The observatory remained and operational until 2001. Today, its original and a later telescope reside in
the Carlton Observatory collection at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum’s Titan Pavilion. The
modest building remains at Linfield University and serves the athletic department for small classes and
meetings. This cherished landmark reminds us of the curiosity, preservation efforts, and community
spirit that have defined Linfield and McMinnville for generations.

For images of the the property, and further details, check out the link below:

Historic Resources Inventory Documentation