(note added November 24, 2011- Cassidy Laudadio has organized the Warner and Swasey Observatory Preservation Project [1])
This is a photo taken June 4, 2005 of the Warner Swasey Observatory in East Cleveland, Ohio. The building was originally a gift from the Warner Swasey equipment manufacturing company (they made hydraulic Gradalls famous in the ‘50s)
This photo was taken Feb 18, 2008.
Wikipedia has a short history [2]of the Observatory.
What the sad history of this gift and building make me aware of is the transience of promises. Gifts given today are abandoned later. Art museums are moved from their gifted venue to locations where more visitor money is available.
If you are wealthy enough to be a philanthropist, maybe you should provide an endowment along with the gift – and deeded restrictions/instructions controlling abandonment of the gift.
It is hard to look into the future and sensibly predict the value of property for the purpose it was given, but the ignominious present condition of this once elegant building strikes me as a slap in the face to the Warners and Swaseys – and by extension, benefactors everywhere.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Warner-Swasey--dedication-O.jpg [3] | 108.24 KB |
| Warner-Swasey-in-trees-Obse.jpg [4] | 97.41 KB |
| Warner-Swasey-front-door-Ob.jpg [5] | 142.67 KB |
| Warner-Swasey-street-view-O.jpg [6] | 95.99 KB |
| warner-swasey-observatory-e.jpg [7] | 121.45 KB |
