Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory

Photographed by Dawn Bowen, July 15, 2007

1. Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory Marker

Inscription.
The Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory was established by an ordinance passed by Virginia's third revolutionary convention on 17 July 1775. Built on this site soon thereafter by Fielding Lewis and Charles Dick, it was the first such factory in America. Its workers repaired and manufactured small arms for the regiments of numerous Virginia counties during the Revolutionary War. The factory’s principal product was modeled after the British Brown Bess musket, the standard infantry arm of the day. Only a handful of the Fredericksburg muskets survive. In 1783 the factory closed and the General Assembly transferred the land and buildings to the trustees of the Fredericksburg Academy. The property was sold to a merchant in 1801 and later subdivided.

Erected 1994 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number N-7.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 17, 1775.

Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby.

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It was located near 38° 17.594′ N, 77° 27.539′ W. Marker was in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was on Clarke Street just north of Ferdinand Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Fredericksburg VA 22401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in Northern Virginia.

It was also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it was in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory (within shouting distance of this marker); Spanish War Veterans (within shouting distance of this marker); Camp Cobb at Gunnery Springs (within shouting distance of this marker);

Marker on Dunmore Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Dawn Bowen, July 15, 2007

2. Marker on Dunmore Street

The Walker-Grant School (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Walker-Grant School (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Walker-Grant School - 1935 (about 400 feet away); c. 1938 (approx. 0.2 miles away); c. 1835 (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. New Replacemnent Marker Located Nearby also titled "Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory".

Also see . . .
1. Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory Site. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on July 2, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. Defending the New Nation: The Fredericksburg Gun Manufacturing Plant. Emerging Revolutionary War Era website entry (Submitted on July 2, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2007, by Dawn Bowen of Fredericksburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,914 times since then and 126 times this year. Last updated on December 10, 2017, by Michael Weeks of Chicago, Illinois. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 15, 2007, by Dawn Bowen of Fredericksburg, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.