Sundial 1042
- Dial City: Saint Louis
- Dial State/Province: Missouri
- Dial Country: USA
- Lat: 38° 41.247’ N
- Dial Nr: 1042
- Dial Type: Sun Alignment
- Dial Access: Public
- Lon: 90° 13.773' W
- Dial Owner: Anonymous
- Dial Designer: Thomas Wall Mitchell Wall Architecture and Design
- Dial Maker: Tarlton Corporation / Mason Made
- Dial Date: Nov 2021
- Location:
- Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum 4947 W Florissant Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115 The Cascade Mausoleum is located at the southwest end of the cemetery, at the south-most end of Cascade Lake.
- Description:
- The sundial, or more properly an alignment gap in the shape of a cross, is cut into the south wall of the Cascade Mausoleum. The cross shaped gap was cut into a 32,000-pound block of granite located at the top of the second flight of stairs, carefully angled at 27.9 degrees through this two-foot-thick block. Every year, on Dec 20th at 11:58 am, the sun shines through the cut and projects a cross 4x 8 feet in size on the granite floor located at the bottom of the stairs. The cross illuminates the floor for about 4 minutes, only aligning on Dec 20th at solar noon. The date of Dec 20th was chosen over the winter solstice for significance to matriarch of the anonymous donor's family.
- Inscription:
- One would never know this is a sundial, unless they are looking for it. It is one of the many hidden elements designed into the mausoleum referencing meaningful facts about the family.
- Other References:
- Photos © Thomas Wall (1), Alise O’Brien (2)
Last Update:
2024-01-11 18:20