Simsbury  

 Sundial: 1146
State/Province:  Connecticut Country:  
Dial Type:  Vertical Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 41° 50.920' N  72° 49.979' W
Location:
  • Ethel Walker School
    230 Bushy Hill Road
    Simsbury, CT 06070

    Dial is above the main entrance to the school's old wing of the administration building Beaver Brook
 
Description:
  • Called the Millennium Sundial, this vertical dial is made of wire rods and from a distance is nearly invisible. It declines S-SW and has small hour disks in Roman numerals from 7am to 6pm. The dial also has wire solstice boundaries. This starts to sound like a poorly designed dial, but in fact is a very fine dial, casting its shadow of time onto the floor of the staircase landing on the inside of the window. As reported in the NASS journal, The Compendium, "The design of the sundial incorporates figures representing different aspects of the life and history of the School. The top half of the dial contains seven sets of figures in a field of sun rays emanating from the center of the sundial. At the top are two maypole dancers dancing around the vertical sun ray. They represent the long tradition of the School in celebrating spring with dancing on Dogswood Day – a day of games established by the founder of the School, Ethel Walker."

    "The lower half of the sundial tells time and season. It contains the gnomon, the hour
    angle markers, and markers for the first days of spring, summer, fall and winter. The
    gnomon is supported by three figures clasping hands in friendship. The dial has
    been designed and calibrated to indicate the precise standard time for the location within
    the limits of the variations due to the equation of time (the difference between true solar
    time and mean solar time). The hour markers can be read from both sides of the sundial
    enabling someone to read the sundial from the inside."
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Ethel Walker School
  • "Will you be a Sun or a Dial?" It’s a common question that all new members of the Walker’s community hear.
  • Designer: Albert J. Brenner & James S. Sweitzer, Ph.D.
  • Builder: Sculptor Danielle Langford. & Argos Foundry, Brewster, NY
  • Construction Date: Unveiled May 17, 2001
 
References: Web Links:
  • The school alumnae magazine is called "The Sundial"

Attachments Available:

Last Revised: 2025-12-02 21:16