Home » Blog » Artifact of the Quarter | March 2018

Artifact of the Quarter | March 2018

Phoenix Shot Tower

While driving on I-83 in Baltimore, Maryland, one massive, legendary eyewitness to the Civil War rises prominently into the sky and is visible from miles away—the Phoenix Shot Tower.  Standing 234 feet tall, it was one of the tallest buildings in the United States at the time of the Civil War, and bore silent witness to Baltimore’s Civil War, including the Pratt Street Riot.

Built in 1828, just north of President Street Station, the tower sits in a bustling part of the city. The shot tower produced pistol and rifle shot that supplied thousands of soldiers during the Civil War. The production process started by dropping hot, molten lead from the top of the 234-foot-tall tower. The lead started to take shape into perfect spheres as it travelled down the neck of the tower and landed in a large barrel of cold water at the tower’s base. Finally, the lead pellets were sifted through a sieve.

It is estimated that approximately 2.5 million pounds of shot were manufactured in the tower annually. The tower, however, became obsolete in 1892, when new methods of shot production were developed, forcing the once-overworked tower into irrelevance. In 1921, the tower was almost destroyed, which would have eliminated one of Baltimore’s most iconic Civil War-era structures. Fortunately, a contingent of Baltimore civilians protested its destruction, and on Oct. 11, 1924, a group of these preservationists raised $17,000 — more than $200,000 by today’s monetary standards — to save the Phoenix Shot Tower. Today the Phoenix Shot Tower is a working museum, providing visitors with a tangible connection to Baltimore’s Civil War-era history.

The Phoenix Shot Tower Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

More information about the museum can be found online at carrollmuseums.org.

Categories: , ,

Recent News

Shenandoah’s CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute Awards Lifetime Achievement Award to Melissa Cross

Shenandoah’s CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute Awards Lifetime Achievement Award to Melissa Cross

Celebrated "Scream Queen" Honored for Transforming Contemporary Commercial Music Voice Training

Jonathan Hugendubler with gameshow host Ken Jennings on the set of "Jeopardy!"

Shenandoah University Alum Wins Jeopardy! Season Finale

Jonathan Hugendubler ’14 knocks off 16-time champion Scott Riccardi on July 25 episode<br>

Headshots of Dr. Yunita Anwar (left) and Dr. John Winn (right), both of the Shenandoah University School of Business

WalletHub Taps Two SU Professors for Insight and Advice

Drs. Winn and Anwar Talk Insurance and Improving Credit

Shenandoah Pharmacy Graduates Secure Competitive PGY2 Residency Matches

Four pharmacy graduates advance into competitive PGY2 residencies in pediatric, psychiatric pharmacy, oncology, and investigational drugs and research

Professor explains content on a screen in a Shenandoah University educational leadership doctoral class.

New Higher Ed Concentration Offered in Shenandoah University’s Educational Leadership Doctoral Programs

Course topics delve into the primary responsibilities of higher education leaders

Headshot of J. Robert "Bobby" Spencer

Shenandoah University To Hold Special Performance To Benefit SSMT Living Legacy Endowment Fund

Original ‘Jersey Boy’ J. Robert Spencer headlines ensemble cast of Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre alumni

Monthly Archives