Jackson Ferry Shot Tower facts for kids
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Shot Tower
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | W of jct. of Rte. 608 and U.S. 52, Shot Tower Historical State Park, near Max Meadows, Virginia |
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| Area | 0 acres (0 ha) |
| Built | 1807 |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000286 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1969 |
The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower is a special tower in Wythe County, Virginia. It is about 75 feet (23 meters) tall. People used it to make small lead balls called "shot" for firearms. Today, it is next to the New River Trail State Park. This park is a long path that connects the old towns of Pulaski and Galax, Virginia.
This tower is one of only a few shot towers left in the United States. Thomas Jackson built it. It is now the main attraction at the Shot Tower Historical State Park. Building the tower started after the American Revolutionary War. It was finished in 1807. The tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1969. This means it is an important historical place.
Contents
How Shot Was Made
Shot towers were built to make lead shot for guns. The process was quite clever.
Melting the Lead
First, workers would melt lead in a hot furnace at the very top of the tower. They added a little bit of arsenic to the lead. This helped the lead form perfect round drops.
Making the Drops
Next, the melted lead was poured through a special sieve. A sieve is like a strainer with tiny holes. The lead would drip through these holes, forming small drops. The size of the holes decided the size of the shot.
Falling and Cooling
These lead drops would then fall a long way, about 150 feet (46 meters)! As they fell through the air, they would cool down and become perfectly round. At the bottom of the tower, there was a large kettle of water. The drops would land in the water. This finished the cooling process and made sure the shot was soft enough not to get squashed.
Finishing the Shot
After cooling, the finished lead shot was ready. It was then sold to hunters, traders, and merchants.
Unique Tower Design
The Wythe County Shot Tower is special because of how it was built.
Strong Stone Walls
Most other shot towers were made of brick. But this one was built using strong limestone. Its walls are 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) thick! These solid stone walls made the tower very strong. They also kept the inside cool and at a steady temperature. This helped make better quality shot.
Using Nature's Help
To make shot, the lead drops needed to fall about 150 feet (46 meters). Instead of building a super tall tower, the builders used the natural land. They built the tower on the edge of a cliff. Then, they dug a vertical shaft 75 feet (23 meters) deep from the bottom of the tower. This meant the actual tower only needed to be 75 feet tall.
Accessing the Bottom
To get to the bottom of the deep shaft, they dug a horizontal tunnel. This tunnel, called an adit, opened up near the New River. This clever design made the tower very efficient.
