Carefree  

Sundial: 1
State/Province:  Arizona Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Horizontal Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 33° 50' N  111° 55' 26" W
Location:
  • The Carefree Sundial landmark sits in downtown Carefree along Easy Street within the Carefree Desert Gardens at Sundial Plaza
 
Description:
  • A 90 ft. diameter horizontal dial with a large reflecting pool beneath the gnomon designed by architect Joe Wong and solar engineer John Yellott. The dial is constructed using a steel frame and covered in anodized copper. The hour markers are 4 ft. diameter concrete circles. The dial is designed to show solar time corrected for the time zone offset. Thus the hour markers have been moved ahead of the solar time position. The hour lines are separated by alternating dark and light colored stones. The gnomon itself is 4 ft. wide, 72 ft. long and the tip is 35 ft. high. A pilot dial at a scale of 1/4 in. =1ft. is at the South end of the large dial. It is constructed of gold-anodized aluminum with time lines at 10 minute intervals. An equation of time plaque is nearby. The upper surface of the dial formerly served as a solar water heater to provide hot water to the city's first office building. Numerals face outward, so that they are more easily read by viewers.

    The dial originally had a Sunburst ornament made of wrought iron hanging midway along the gnomon, but it deteriorated and was removed 20 years ago. Thanks to an anonymous patron, a new Sunburst following the original seven-foot design was installed in March 2021.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: City of Carefree
  • Here the Sun Marks Time (The motto of the city of Carefree.) Apparently this motto is now missing.
  • Designer: John I. Yellott and Joe Wong
  • Builder:
  • Construction Date: 1959
 
References: Web Links:
  • NASS Compendium, Vol 1 No. 1, p. 5, March 1994. Typewritten notes from Arizona State Univ Solar Energy Library on file.

Last Revised: 2022-04-24 22:22