From 1860, when Henry Draper built his first observatory on his father's estate, until his death in 1882, he photographed the heavens from this Hastings hilltop. In an 1880s image, the original observatory stands on the right and the larger 1869 dome on the left. The popularity of Draper's Smithsonian guide to making telescopes and his innovative use of photography made this site a destination for 19th century amateur astronomers, including the Emperor of Brazil. A picture of Draper and his first telescope dates to the 1860s.