In the early 1980s, the Observatory fell into disrepair, and the original telescope was destroyed. The Astronomical Society of Greenwich was formed in 1984, in part to restore the Observatory so it could be used again as a teaching facility for Greenwich school students and the public. In 1986, the Observatory underwent a major renovation, including installation of a 12 1/2" Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope that was named in honor of Alden Smith. In 2007, the town of Greenwich agreed to spend $225,000 for a new dome. The original dome had been in place for more than 60 years, surviving storms, hurricanes, and nor'easters, and it had begun leaking, endangering the telescope. Birds had also been found nesting in it. On May 22, 2008, workers from Jackson, Mississippi-based Observa-Dome replaced the old dome with a new one, which weighs 4,000 pounds, is motorized, and can rotate 360 degrees.