These pages cover the initial construction of the observatory in 2001.
These pages cover mainly the two roll-off-roof buildings.  For details of the dome construction in 2006, skip to here.
Construction
By late June, with less than a month left before opening night, I became too busy building to update this page regularly, but during the last month, we added the wall panels to the second building, painted the interiors, built the decks/wheelchair ramps, completed the electrical system (including a 12V system and some computer cables.  The Camp's caretaker/Ranger, Hoppy Bray, a former electrician, did the 110V system), installed the binocular pier, made and installed the doors and the "telescope clearance" windows of the upper walls, installed the steel siding, and installed a lot of hardware and completed a lot of landscaping, including an Eagle Scout project in which Chris Peterson planted over 100 dense shrubs around the perimeter of the observatory area to act as a light and wind shield. The shrubs were provided at a discount by Lowe's Hardware of Lafayette. Carpetland USA in Lafayette donated some indoor-oudoor carpeting, which, due to time limitations, we paid them to install.
Installing the steel siding took longer than expected, probably due to the larger than usual number of corners on the building. The siding matches the siding on the camp's new nature center.
Interiors were painted and carpeted in dark green, which not only matches the exerior trim, but helps preserve night vision when using the scopes.
This view shows the wheelchair ramp.
The lower portion of an old telephone pole was used as a pier for the binoculars.
Both 110V a.c. and 12V d.c. are widely available at the site.
Hours before opening night, the scopes were installed.  Both were mounted on Astro Piers (by Le Sueur Manufacturing).
A wide-angle view shows the one hundred shrubs that will make a light and wind shield when grown.