Some History
In 1920, when a decent astronomical telescope was far beyond the average worker’s means, Russell W. Porter offered to help a group of Springfield machine tool factory workers build their own. Together, they ground, polished, and figured mirrors, completed their telescopes, and began using them, soon becoming thoroughly captivated by amateur astronomy. By 1923 they had formed a club, the Springfield Telescope Makers, and had built Stellafane, our now legendary clubhouse. In 1925 their activities drew the attention of Albert Ingalls, an editor at Scientific American. He visited the club, and soon began publishing articles by himself, Porter and others about telescope making. This generated interest across the country, and the club decided to invite other amateurs to visit and learn. On July 3, 1926, 29 people came to Breezy Hill, and The Stellafane Convention was established. It’s been held every year since, except during the Second World War and the COVID-19 pandemic. The convention grew rapidly, and today 800 to a thousand enthusiastic amateurs make the annual pilgrimage to Springfield.
This year is the 100 Year Anniversary of the first convention! Learn More about the first convention in 1926!
The Site at Breezy Hill
The original Stellafane site on Breezy Hill is a National Historic Landmark and remains the location for the telescope competition, and of course is where the Stellafane clubhouse and Porter Turret Telescope are located. In 2018 the Simoni Observatory was added to house the Cook Spectrohelioscope.
In 1986, faced with the loss of access to an adjacent field that had been the Convention’s camping area, with the support of members who mortgaged their homes, the STMs purchased a 40-acre farm across the road from the original Stellafane site. This became known as Stellafane East. In 1998, STM former president Harty Beardsley donated another adjacent 35 acres, ensuring that the Convention had room for growth - and grow it did now that convention attendance was no longer limited.
The Stellafane Clubhouse
“Stellafane” is properly the name of our clubhouse, designed by Porter and built by early members. The pink color may simply have been that of donated paint, but it has been hallowed by long tradition. Although it’s now a tight fit with today’s larger membership roster, the Springfield Telescope Makers still hold meetings at Stellafane. The original site, including the clubhouse and the Porter Turret Telescope, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989.
Amateur Telescope Making Museum
Our Museum is in the process of opening a downtown Springfield location in partnership with the Springfield Art and Historic Society. We plan to have it open during convention; check the schedule for when.
Telescope Making
From our founding in 1923, Telescope Making has been at the core of Stellafane. Since the beginning, our bylaws have specified that full members of our club must have made a telescope objective. We care deeply about preserving this legacy, promoting this aspect of the hobby, and assisting those who undertake to make their own telescopes. After all, we are The Springfield Telescope Makers, and Stellafane is the "Birthplace of Amateur Telescope Making".
As part of our year-round programming, we offer mirror-making classes and a number of resources on how to build your own telescope. These mirror-making classes are free (aside from materials) and are a great way for people of all ages and experience levels to begin the journey of building a full scope. You can find more information about our courses on our main club page here: Stellafane Mirror Class
We celebrate and commend those who take the time, and learn the knowledge needed to build their own devices with our Telescope Competition held at Convention every year. We have categories for both mechanical and visual excellence and a panel of highly qualified judges. Show off your build, and get inspired by seeing other attendees' homemade creations! You do not need to compete to display at Convention.