Jackson Ferry Shot Tower

The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower, located in Wythe County, Virginia, is one of only a handful remaining in the United States. The shot tower was built by Thomas Jackson shortly after the Revolutionary War, and was completed in 1807 after around 7 years of construction. This shot tower is unique because of its construction and location.

Purpose

Shot Towers were often referred to as Shot Factories during the industry's heyday. Today they stand as testaments to ingenious yet antiquated technology.The purpose of the shot tower was to produce lead shot to be used in firearms. Firewood and lead were taken to the top of the tower, where a furnace was fired to melt the lead. The molten lead was then poured through a sieve, which would form individual drops of lead of a specific size. Different sieves were used to produce shot of varying size. The molten drops would then free-fall 150 feet, during which they would become spherical in shape, and cool enough to become rigid. A large kettle full of water at the bottom would finish the cooling process, and provide a soft enough landing to keep the shot from deforming.The finished shot was then sold to hunters, traders and merchants.

The actual construction dates concerning the Shot Tower located in Wythe County Virginia are in dispute as Thomas Jackson located from England to Wythe County (then Fincastle) Virginia by 1790. Thomas Jackson eventually acquired the land on which the Shot Tower stands, but it is unclear as to his involvement with the actual construction of the tower. Moses Austin and his brother Stephen may have been responsible for the construction of the Shot Tower.

Moses Austin (father of Stephen F. Austin) and his brother Stephen Austin owned the lead mines and surrounding operations during the 1790s. Within the Austin Papers (a collection of writings, letters, and business ledgers by Moses and descendants) the manufacturing of shot in Wythe County is referenced on several occasions. Shot is itemized in a 1794 business ledger. Shot is also referenced in a desperate letter from Stephen Austin to James Austin in Austinville dated 12th September, 1798. "as in paying part cash and goods should sopose you may imploy waggon and I want all the shot rushd on to Linchbourgh (Lynchburg, Virginia) possible that it may be ready at Richmond to ship before the river closes". In 1798, James Austin was superintendent of the Lead Mines operation in Austinville VA, just 3.5 miles from the Shot Tower.

An advertisement in the August 30 1791 edition of the "Virginia Chronicle" detailing the manufacturing of Shot at the Shot Factory in Southwest Virginia may suggest that the tower dates back to before 1800.Fact|date=February 2007

Design

The Wythe County Shot Tower is unique for several reasons. Unlike most other shot towers, which were constructed of brick, this shot tower was built of limestone with walls 2.5 feet thick. The thick, solid stone walls not only made the Shot Tower an extremely strong structure, but kept its interior temperature cool and consistent, improving the quality of the shot it produced. Since the lead needed to free-fall around 150 feet to form proper shaped shot, the designers decided to use the natural terrain to reduce the height of the tower they had to construct. They decided to build the tower on the edge of a cliff, and dig a vertical shaft 75 feet deep, which reduced the height required of the actual tower to 75 feet. Access to the bottom of the shaft was made by a horizontal adit that opened up near the shore of the New River.

In a series of writings, letters, and business ledgers collectively known as the Austin Papers, Moses Austin refers to the necessary design elements of Shot Factory. The following quote is from hand written remarks by Moses Austin concerning the English patent for drop shot, dated August 1st 1791,"by experience I have found a much better mode to introduce arsnic and find the white much preferable to the yellow from it [s] purity in strength. And that a material difference of the height is required in the Climate of America in the different seasons of the year".

External links

* [http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/docs/shottower.pdf Shot Tower Historic State Park Brochure]