During the spring and summer of 2012, Fellows from the Kahn Institute's 2008-2009 project Time: Its Meaning and Measurement put the finishing touches on a project they began during the first week on their yearlong colloquium: they completed the installation of a restoration of a sundial donated to the College by the Class of 1883.

Project Fellows initially became interested in the broken base of the original sundial, which remained in the ground in front of the Peacock Bench near Morris and Lawrence Houses. Their research uncovered the history of the dial, and set into motion a plan to restore both it and the concrete bench, which was also donated by the Class of 1883.

A number of students worked closely with Fellows David Dempsey, associate director of museum services at the Smith College Museum of Art and Suzan Edwards, professor of astronomy, on the restoration project. Other Fellows in the Kahn project, including Organizing Fellows Bosiljka Glumac and Richard Lim, provided essential information about geology and history of the original sundial to assist in planning the restoration. In August 2012, the restored gnomon and face plate were attached to the restored pedestal to return the sundial to the appearance it had when it was first given to the College.

Read more about the restoration of the sundial