Inscription
By 1770 Capt. William Herbert had established a ferry across the nearby New River that became known as Jackson's Ferry. Thomas Jackson erected the 75-foot shot tower in the early 1800s to manufacture shot for firearms. The Austinville mines supplied lead for this business. Molten lead was dripped through a sieve from the top of the tower, then fell through the structure and an additional 75-foot shaft beneath the building into a kettle of water. While falling, the lead cooled and developed into shot pellets; the water cushioned the fall. The shaft was connected to the riverbank by a tunnel through which the shot was carried and then loaded onto boats.
Details
| HM Number | HMLQ4 |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Historical Period | 18th Century |
| Historical Place | Other |
| Marker Type | Other |
| Marker Class | Historical Marker |
| Marker Style | Mounted |
| Marker Number | KD 6 |
| Year Placed | 2000 |
| Placed By | Virginia Department of Historic Resources |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Friday, October 17th, 2014 at 2:04am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] IXIE VERNS
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 17S E 511560 N 4080797 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 36.87305000, -80.87028333 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 36° 52.383', W 80° 52.217' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 36° 52' 22.9800" N, 80° 52' 13.0200" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 276 |
| Can be seen from road? | Yes |
| Is marker in the median? | No |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling South |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 172 Fort Chiswell Rd, Max Meadows VA 24360, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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Show me all markers in: Max Meadows, VA | Wythe County | 24360 | Virginia | United States of America
Maintenance Issues
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