The Worley Observatory is a 1-story building located on Observatory Road which is located 1.2 miles north of the intersection of LA Highway 175 and Ellerbe Road in Shreveport, Louisiana.
What is unique and interesting about this astronomical observatory is that a public school district owns this observatory rather than a university, college, private corporation, conglomerate, or some sort of government entity. Yes an actual public school district owns this observatory.
Members from Shreveport-Bossier Astronomical Society looked for a site to build this observatory. Land was offered by a farmer named Mr. L. S. "Scrib" Frierson who owned a large cotton plantation. Mr. Frierson allowed them to use an abandoned corn crib that had been burned and abandoned the cotton plantation. Architect Joseph Schirer redrew the original plans to convert the corn crib into an observatory building.
Construction for Ralph A. Worley Observatory started in September 1963. Ralph A. Worley Observatory was opened in 1964 by the Shreveport-Bossier Astronomical Society and was later donated to the Caddo Parish School District. The Caddo Parish School District still owns the observatory to this day. Worley Observatory has had no known renovations or additions throughout its history.
The Worley Observatory was built as a 1-story masonry building, set on a standard concrete foundation and slab. The building is 2,176 square feet in size on approximately 0.17 acres. Its exterior walls are constructed of concrete masonry unit blocks.
The exterior windows are a combination of fixed and operating steel units. The exterior doors are a combination of either wood or steel frames. Its roof is constructed of supported concrete with steel J-beam and post structure. The roof is in fair condition. The metal dome of the astronomical observatory shows signs of aging.
Interior wall partitions are constructed of a combination of concrete masonry and wood. Interior wall finishes are a combination of painted masonry, gypsum board, and wood paneling.
The Ralph A. Worley Observatory is still in use today. Their address is 1 Astronomical Observatory Road, Shreveport, Louisiana, US 71115.
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