The Creation Pole Sundial
THE IDEA
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Inspired by visits to Stonehenge and to monuments to the sun and moon in Mexico, Paul Zorn noticed while taking art classes at Bucks that the Creation Pole, recently erected in a large grassy area, was situated nicely to act as the vertical pointer for a sundial. With encouragement from his art teacher, Charlotte Schatz, he approached Bruce Katsiff, Art Chair, with the idea in Apr. 1989. Bruce was very supportive of the endeavor and got approval from Sally Mahon, chief of the Office of Physical Plant to move forward, with the proviso that any construction not interfere with mowing, and not decay into an eyesore. |
PlANNING THE SUNDIAL
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Paul plotted points on the ground where the tip of the shadow of the Creation Pole fell at the exact times of the summer and winter solstices and of the spring and fall equinoxes. The Pole is vertical rather than aimed at the North Star as is a normal sundial pointer, so only the tip of the shadow is used in telling the time. By May 1994 the locations of the solstice and equinox points for 8am through 4pm were established well enough to be marked with cardboard and surveyor tape showing what the whole project might look like. A year was spent designing clearly visible and durable markers for the hour lines. Advice from Frank Dominguez led to the final design of blue-green cement numerals set into a white cement background. |
INSTALLING THE SUNDIAL
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Paul spent much of 1996 in his basement, casting 25 of the 16x16x2 inch cement slabs for the equinox and solstice points and 112 of the 8x16x2 inch slabs for the hour lines. Then, at the sundial site, he dug 137 holes about 12 inches deep, filled them with stone, and leveled a cement slab on top of each to mark the points and lines of the sundial. Martin Snyder, from the Department of Physical Plant, arranged for dirt to be hauled away and for stone to be delivered. The last slab was placed in Dec. 1996, just before frost. During 1997-2000 I adjusted the heights of the slabs: the high ones were damaged by mowers, and the low ones became overgrown with grass. A stainless steel sign was designed by Ron Dorfman, explaining the Creation Pole and Sundial. A support structure was built by John Matthews. |