every time a star appeared to cross one of the wires, which would send an impulse to the clock. This was compared with the solar time observed on the Riefler Clock No. 224 and results published by the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. The result was a clock that was accurate to the hundredth of a second. In the factory, the sounder audibly ticked off the seconds so that workers could set the watches accurately. After the opening of the observatory, the Elgin National Watch Company adopted the slogan: "Elgin Takes The Time From The Stars And Puts It In Your Pocket". The Illinois government also equipped the observatory with thermometers, a thermograph, barometer, barograph, rain gauge, and weather vane. This was intended to provide data on weather to Springfield, but was also reproduced in local newspapers. The company was watchful of humidity, as this could affect delicate processes. The Great Depression hit the Elgin National Watch Company badly. Following World War II, Swiss manufacturers began to dominate the pocket watch industry. The final blow came in 1950, when the United States Time Corporation introduced a cheap wristwatch that could be discarded and repurchased for less than the cost of repair. The Elgin National Watch Company ceased watch production in the late 1950s. The observatory was donated to the Elgin Area School District U46 in 1960, who added a planetarium in 1963. This was the first school district planetarium in the State of Illinois. Donald Tuttle (1920–2010) was the first planetarium director. He served from 1963 to 1985. The second director of the Planetarim/Observatory was Gary L. Kutina. He served as director from 1985 to 2009. The observatory was added to the National Register of Historic Places by Gary L. Kutina, Director of the Observatory, on August 16, 1994. Architecture The Elgin National Watch Company Observatory is on the northeast corner of Watch and Raymond Streets, two blocks east from where the factory once stood. It was constructed on a gravel base, which could absorb surface vibrations. Concrete piers were dug down into this layer to secure the telescope and Riefler clocks. The two-story building can be split into three segments: the entrance, the observatory, and the office. The entrance segment connects the other two segments. The walls are made of lath and plaster and the room features a lavatory. The second floor above the entrance is the chronograph room,