Now standing in the lobby of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL), a historic “jewel” of Abbot Academy’s campus is displayed for all to see. First bought for the Abbot Observatory in 1875, the Historic Abbot Telescope was recently brought back to Andover with the help of an Abbot Grant from the Abbot Academy Fund (AAF) and Caroline Odden, Dean of Studies.
The telescope was assembled by John Briggs ’77, who started his first year at Andover in 1974 when the telescope was sold to a private owner. He had a special interest in astronomy, however, and spent a lot of time in the Abbot observatory, so he was well acquainted with the Abbot telescope, eventually buying it in 1982 to add to his collection of astronomical objects.
“It was like stepping into a time machine that carried me back a century. This telescope can show you Saturn and its rings, about a billion miles away at a level of detail that first-timers find nearly unbelievable,” said Briggs.
While setting up the telescope in the entrance of the OWHL, students gathered around to see Briggs in action. One such student, Maddie Soong ’27, listened to Briggs discuss his hopes for the telescope on campus. Soong shared their curiosity and amazement at having such a magnificent telescope in the library.
“[Mr. Briggs] assembled it on the table and it was very interesting. He wanted to install it in the library to inspire curiosity and to inspire more students to get excited about astronomy because the telescope can still function. When I saw it assembled I was really surprised because it looks like such a nice telescope and they didn’t have it [blocked off] or anything. It was just there for the students to appreciate, which I thought was pretty cool,” said Soong.
Yasmine Tazi ’24, President of Astronomy Club, was also in the library during the setup of the telescope. While Tazi knew of the telescope’s arrival, she expressed that she did not know much about the background of the telescope before hearing from Briggs.
“I’ve known it was coming for a while — Mrs. Odden couldn’t stop talking about it and got me so hyped! So when John Briggs finally arrived to install it, I made sure I was there to watch the whole installing process! I didn’t know much about the history of the telescope before meeting John Briggs. I always passed in front of the Abbot Dome wondering why nothing was operating there — the dome has been rehabilitated into an apartment nowadays. Now I understand how that came to be,” wrote Tazi in an email to The Phillipian.
The telescope first made its way to the Abbot Campus when Abbot Academy astronomy teacher Mary Belcher successfully raised 1,200 dollars for its purchase. The telescope is a 5-inch refracting telescope, which uses light in order to magnify and brighten what it is focused on in addition to making the subject clearer. Designed by the renowned telescope manufacturer Alvan Clark & Sons, the telescope was a prized possession on campus and garnered excitement from not only students but also teachers and local residents.
After being sold during the Abbot-Andover merger, the telescope’s return during the 50th anniversary of Abbot at Andover puts on display Abbot’s enduring legacy at Andover. Beth Humstone ’66, AAF Board President, described how the telescope’s placement in the library emphasizes Andover’s and Abbot’s commitment to educating girls in sciences.
“A jewel of Abbot’s campus, the telescope symbolizes the school’s early commitment to educating girls in the sciences. Its prominent placement in the library is yet another reminder of Abbot’s legacy at Andover on this 50th anniversary of the merger of the schools,” said Humstone.
Sam Clare ’25 shared insights into the connection between the Abbot Telescope and supporting women’s education. They lamented the lack of advertising about the return of the telescope, but expressed excitement about what it could symbolize for the astronomically inclined students at Andover.
“I think that it is really cool that we are connecting with the Abbot Legacy, and [supporting] women in STEM… I wish that there had been more promotion about it so that I could have known sooner. I think that this will be a good opportunity for people who are interested in astronomy,” said Clare.
Tazi also pointed out how the telescope shows Andover’s dedication to the sciences. She emphasized her thoughts on having the telescope in the library being symbolic of curiosity and exploration.
“[The telescope is] a symbol of Andover’s commitment to science. It turns the library into a sort of museum! Also, having a telescope in the library is very symbolic: telescopes are used to see beyond human sight, to dig into the unknown — kind of like what we’d do when we dig into archives or historical research,” wrote Tazi in an email to The Phillipian.
