The Original Perkins Observatory in Delaware

No doubt we’ve all experienced the following: Having lived in or even often travelled through a place for years, we learn about something wonderful or intriguing we had no idea existed. This is more surprising (and galling, for a documentary photographer) when we have driven right by something many, many times, never knowing what we were missing. Such was the case for me with this, the former Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Wander in to photograph an observatory, photograph the doorknob instead.

In my defense, the observatory sits on a hill high above the road (it’s not far from the darling octagonal filling station in Delaware), and I don’t remember how we learned of its existence, but after stopping at my favourite local nursery, we stopped in to take a peek.

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Visiting the octagon vintage filling station in Delaware, Ohio

We’re standing at the corner of Lake & Central in Delaware, Ohio.

Tired of the snow, you say? I suppose you could check this older view of the station. But time marches on, does it not?

I’m sorry—and can completely understand, especially as the stuff was until this morning in today’s forecast—but thought you might forgive seeing the last scraps of it. (Hey, at least the first photo involves no snow whatsoever.)

Somehow, these photos of Delaware, Ohio’s octagonal filling station got lost in the shuffle, so we’ll have to put up with the snow—but I think you’ll like them anyhow.