Beverly Powder House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Beverly Powder House
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HABS photo, 1941
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Powder House Lane, Beverly, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1809 |
| NRHP reference No. | 100004267 |
| Added to NRHP | August 15, 2019 |
The Beverly Powder House is a very old building in Beverly, Massachusetts. It was built in 1809. This small brick building was used to store military supplies. It held things like gunpowder during the War of 1812. It is one of the few buildings like it still standing in Massachusetts. It's also the only old town building from the early 1800s that still exists in Beverly. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
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What is the Beverly Powder House Like?
The Beverly Powder House sits on a small hill. From here, you can see the center of Beverly. It is on the east side of Powder House Lane. The area around it now has many homes built in the late 1800s and 1900s.
How Was the Powder House Built?
This building has eight sides and is made of brick. Its roof is covered with wooden shingles. The roof sits on a wooden frame, which is built over a brick dome. The walls do not have any windows. However, they are designed to let air move through the building. This was done using special winding passages in the brickwork.
The building is about 17.5 feet (5.3 meters) wide at its base. It stands about 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) tall from its stone foundation to the roof's edge. It has a wooden door. This door is held in place by strong iron hinges. Inside, the walls are covered with rough wooden siding. There are also shelves inside. These shelves are held to the brick walls with wooden pegs.
When Was the Beverly Powder House Used?
The Beverly Powder House was built in 1809. It was actually the third building the town used to store military supplies. The first one was built closer to the town center in 1767. When this powder house was built, the town also planned another building. This second building was meant to hold two cannons and other equipment. Sadly, that building no longer exists, and we don't know where it was.
Its Role in the War of 1812
The powder house was mostly used for military purposes during the War of 1812. Local soldiers, called militia, gathered after British forces attacked nearby Gloucester. The powder house would have supplied them with gunpowder. The building stopped being used in 1840. By then, the state began to use larger, central armories for military supplies.
