Jackson's Ferry and Shot Tower
N 36° 52.395 W 080° 52.245
17S E 511519 N 4080819
This historic marker is located on the banks of the New River at the site of Jackson's Ferry.
Waymark Code: WM11B6
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2006
Views: 48
This historic marker stands on the banks of the New River on U. S. Route 52. It was here in a bend in the New River the Captain William Herbert established a ferry in 1770. Across the river from the ferry Thomas Jackson built a Shot Tower which as used to manufacture shot for firearms in the early 1800's. All evidence of the ferry has long been destroyed but the shot tower is still standing and is preserved as part of the Shot Tower State Historic Park.
The text of the marker reads:
JACKSON'S fERRY and SHOT TOWER
"By 1770 Capt. William Herbert had established a ferry across the nearby New River that became known as Jackson’s Ferry. Thomas Jackson erected a 75-foot shot tower in the early 1800’s 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."
Marker Number: KD-5
Marker Title: Shot Tower and Jackson's Ferry
Marker Location: U. S. Route 52, .4 mile north of Foster Falls Road
County or Independent City: Wythe County
Web Site: [Web Link]
Marker Program Sponsor: Department of Historic Resources - 2002
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