September 15, 2026

During these past two weeks, underground plumbing has been underway. Prior to this, the Observatory only had plumbing entering through one corner of the building where the old bathroom and kitchenette was. With the renovation we need to add plumbing to all HVAC units, including dehumidifiers. As well as to the new bathroom and kitchenette. This will ensure that the building is not only up to current building codes, but will also add modern conveniences to spaces that will be heavily used by the public. In an archive, no water lines should ever be installed above the collections space, so in the event of a leak—irreplaceable items aren’t damaged. 

During a scope of the main drain line running out the building, a small collapse of the original clay pipe was found. This is quite common among buildings of this age, as well as much of the historic buildings throughout Cincinnati. Plumbers will repair the damaged section and scope the remainder of the drain line. After inspection of the plumbing work, the basement dirt floor will be prepared for a new poured and polished concrete floor!

Initial shop drawings were received from Stanton Millworks, who will be doing the extensive and detailed custom cabinetry for the project. Designing industry standard archive cabinetry in a round room is no small feat! Each detail, down to the drawer pull placement, the load bearing of the drawer slides (meteorites are heavy!), and the interior organization of each section has been carefully planned by the project architects at the Drawing Dept and the Observatory’s Collections and Archives Manager with its unique collections in mind. 

(Photo credits: Phil Armstrong)