Gambles Hill in Richmond, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Gun Foundry
The Civil War at Tredegar
Joseph Reid Anderson, the head of Tredegar, was given control of coal mines near Richmond and blast furnaces in western Virginia to maintain his flow of raw materials. He also reopened the Virginia Manufactory of Arms building, a state armory built between 1798 and 1810 for arms making. Another close-by arms production facility was the Confederate “laboratory” on Brown’s Island, where white women loaded cartridges for small arms. An explosion at the facility killed thirty women in 1863.
The 12 Pound Howitzer Gun
The gun you see here was cast in the Tredegar Foundry, 7 January 1862, and was designated gun number 1432. The Civil War records of Tredegar outline their production of guns, ordnance, and other vital material.
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The Civil War gun foundry had two large exterior air furnaces operating on a single stack. Coal and iron were loaded into the furnace, and the heat from the burning coal was carried over the iron by the air draft, melting it. Then the molten iron was tapped on the interior side of the wall and flowed down a trough into molds in the floor of the foundry.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is January 7, 1862.
Location. 37° 32.119′ N, 77° 26.711′ W. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. It is in Gambles Hill. Marker can be reached from Tredegar Street, 0.1 miles west of South 5th Street. This marker is located outside the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 Tredegar Street, Richmond VA 23219, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Enterprise and Iron (a few steps from this marker); Joseph Reid Anderson (within shouting distance of this marker); The Cupola Furnace and Foundry (within shouting distance of this marker); The Tredegar Iron Works (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Tredegar Iron Works (within shouting distance of this marker); Toledo 1000-ton Press (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Tredegar Iron Works (within shouting distance of this marker); Southern Firepower (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond.
More about this marker. On the upper left is a period photograph of the "Confederate Laboratories at Brown’s Island."
On the lower left are two photos of the foundry prior to restoration. The caption reads, "Ethyl Corporation restored this building in the 1970’s, rebuilding the whole south wall, the stack, and recreating the furnaces on the north side. The restoration of the foundry shows the deep commitment to the history of the Civil War era that has defined Richmond’s civic history. Much of the iron had to be recast, including furnace doors, using new wooden patterns."
On the right is a painting of the foundry interior showing the cannon casting process.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,103 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 5, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 2. submitted on November 6, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on November 5, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 8, 9. submitted on November 6, 2009, by David Tatum Jr of Suffolk, Virginia.