On December 7, 1923 (101 years ago) (1923-12-07), the members of this small group held their first meeting, deciding to build a clubhouse[5][6] on a 3.5-acre (1.4 ha) plot belonging to Porter on the 1,270-foot (390 m) summit of Breezy Hill outside of town.

[citation needed] Besides the historic Stellafane "pink clubhouse", the original site includes Porter's uniquely designed Porter Turret Telescope, a 12-inch (300 mm; 30 cm) f/17 Newtonian reflector built in 1930, consisting of an equatorially rotated concrete dome with the telescope mounted on the outside, with the observer on the inside working in heated comfort.

[8] Over 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land at Stellafane East are reserved as a camping area, with plots for tents, campers, and RVs to reside during the multi-day convention and other gatherings.

It has since become Thousands of amateur telescope makers from all over the world gather to share their innovations, join in competitions, and enjoy the night sky.

[citation needed] The convention has been held nearly every summer since 1926, with the exceptions of: The convention has been attended by several notable figures in the fields of astronomy and space exploration, including Alan Bean, David H. Levy, Alan Stern, Clyde Tombaugh, and Samuel D. Hale, grandson of George Ellery Hale.