The Geomagnetism Program established its first observatory at Cheltenham Maryland in 1900, when the Program was part of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and under the leadership of Drs Louis A. Bauer and John A. Fleming. The observatory was moved to Fredericksburg in 1956, a site which for many years served as the Program’s headquarters. Today, because it has produced high-quality data for so many years, Fredericksburg is one of the world’s most important observatories.
![United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey sign for Fredericksburg Geomagnetic Center.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/Fredericksburg_sign.jpg?itok=cLeTLpxQ)
Station Id: FRD
Location: Corbin, VA
Latitude: 38.2047°N
Longitude: 77.3729°W
Geomagnetic Latitude: 47.67°N*
Geomagnetic Longitude: 354.44°E*
Elevation: 69 meters
Orientation: HDZF
* IGRF values as of 2015.
In 1862 a major battle was fought at Fredericksburg Virginia during the American Civil War, a tragic event that cost over 15,000 lives, many of whom are buried at the nearby Fredericksburg National Cemetery.
Non-USGS Publications
- Addresses on the Occasion of the Completion of the One-Third of a Century of Continuous Observations at the Cheltenham Magnetic Observatory
- Fredricksburg Magnetic Observatory and Laboratory Dedication Ceremony
- The Constant-Field Coil House at the Fredricksburg Magnetic Observatory
Other Operations:
- A seismometer for the USGS Advanced National Seismic System program
- A global positioning system (GPS) station, and other survey equipment, for the National Geodetic Survey of NOAA, operated under terms of a memorandum of agreement with the USGS
- Network Operations Center (NOC) for the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) serving 183 elementary, secondary, residential and peripheral dormitories across 23 states and two (2) post-secondary schools: Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.
Photos:
![Fredericksburg magnetic observatory view of the grounds.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/Fredericksburg_third_size.jpg?itok=kbxUhAfV)
![Main and auxiliary absolutes piers with Zeiss-Jena 010B Theodolites.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/piers_third_size.jpg?itok=tN8FOaZV)
![Adjustment of magnetic variometers at the old Cheltenham observatory by S. G. Townshend (left) and A. K. Ludy (right).](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/Fredericksburg-men.jpg?itok=AdSgxHxc)
![Brick signs for Fredericksburg Magnetic Observatory and National Ocean Service.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/usgswall.jpg?itok=OGOqV4sf)
![More signs for Fredericksburg Magnetic Observatory.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/USGSNOAAAlum2.jpg?itok=Xmi0kWIf)
![Newspaper article about dedication of new magnetic observatory](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/WashPost-19560520.png?itok=3QTgk17x)
![Newspaper article on House approval of new geodetic observatory in Fredricksburg, Virginnia](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/WashPost-19510807.png?itok=g6RKNurM)
![scanned page of Statute 66](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/STATUTE-66-Pg70.png?itok=6STQmd4E)
The Geomagnetism Program established its first observatory at Cheltenham Maryland in 1900, when the Program was part of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and under the leadership of Drs Louis A. Bauer and John A. Fleming. The observatory was moved to Fredericksburg in 1956, a site which for many years served as the Program’s headquarters. Today, because it has produced high-quality data for so many years, Fredericksburg is one of the world’s most important observatories.
![United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey sign for Fredericksburg Geomagnetic Center.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/Fredericksburg_sign.jpg?itok=cLeTLpxQ)
Station Id: FRD
Location: Corbin, VA
Latitude: 38.2047°N
Longitude: 77.3729°W
Geomagnetic Latitude: 47.67°N*
Geomagnetic Longitude: 354.44°E*
Elevation: 69 meters
Orientation: HDZF
* IGRF values as of 2015.
In 1862 a major battle was fought at Fredericksburg Virginia during the American Civil War, a tragic event that cost over 15,000 lives, many of whom are buried at the nearby Fredericksburg National Cemetery.
Non-USGS Publications
- Addresses on the Occasion of the Completion of the One-Third of a Century of Continuous Observations at the Cheltenham Magnetic Observatory
- Fredricksburg Magnetic Observatory and Laboratory Dedication Ceremony
- The Constant-Field Coil House at the Fredricksburg Magnetic Observatory
Other Operations:
- A seismometer for the USGS Advanced National Seismic System program
- A global positioning system (GPS) station, and other survey equipment, for the National Geodetic Survey of NOAA, operated under terms of a memorandum of agreement with the USGS
- Network Operations Center (NOC) for the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) serving 183 elementary, secondary, residential and peripheral dormitories across 23 states and two (2) post-secondary schools: Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.
Photos:
![Fredericksburg magnetic observatory view of the grounds.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/Fredericksburg_third_size.jpg?itok=kbxUhAfV)
![Main and auxiliary absolutes piers with Zeiss-Jena 010B Theodolites.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/piers_third_size.jpg?itok=tN8FOaZV)
![Adjustment of magnetic variometers at the old Cheltenham observatory by S. G. Townshend (left) and A. K. Ludy (right).](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/Fredericksburg-men.jpg?itok=AdSgxHxc)
![Brick signs for Fredericksburg Magnetic Observatory and National Ocean Service.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/usgswall.jpg?itok=OGOqV4sf)
![More signs for Fredericksburg Magnetic Observatory.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/USGSNOAAAlum2.jpg?itok=Xmi0kWIf)
![Newspaper article about dedication of new magnetic observatory](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/WashPost-19560520.png?itok=3QTgk17x)
![Newspaper article on House approval of new geodetic observatory in Fredricksburg, Virginnia](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/WashPost-19510807.png?itok=g6RKNurM)
![scanned page of Statute 66](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/STATUTE-66-Pg70.png?itok=6STQmd4E)