The old observatory building was known simply as the Old Observatory until 1985, when it was renamed in honor of Frederick R. Maxwell, a retired consulting engineer for the university who had been responsible for protecting and preserving the remnants of the 1800s university campus.
Before 1985, the old observatory building was simply called the Old Observatory. In that year, it was renamed in recognition of Frederick R. Maxwell, a retired engineer from the university who had been instrumental in protecting and preserving the historic parts of the campus.