Downtown in Hartford in Capitol Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)

Rodman "Columbiad" Cannon

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., May 14, 2018

1. Rodman "Columbiad" Cannon Marker

Inscription. Distinguished by its clean lines and notched, flat breech, this 10-inch cannon was developed by U.S. Army Ordinance Lieutenant (later Major) Thomas J. Rodman. It was cast at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania in 1862, carries serial number 37, weighs 14,920 lbs., and from its 126-inch-long tube could fire a 128-pound shot approximately 1,800 yards. Cast iron was poured into the mold around a water cooled core, giving the cannon great strength. From the late 1800s to the mid 1930s it was emplaced near the shore at the State Military Reservation in Niantic, when it was moved to the main gate of the camp. In 1996 it was relocated to this spot at the State Armory and Arsenal.

Erected by Connecticut Military Department.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1862.

Location. 41° 45.868′ N, 72° 41.136′ W. Marker is in Hartford in Capitol Region, Connecticut. It is in Downtown. It is on Michael J. Fallon Way west of Hungerford Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker and cannon are on the Governor William A. O'Neill State Armory grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 360 Broad Street, Hartford CT 06105, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Connecticut River Valley

and in the Knowledge Corridor.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Hartford County

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker

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: Connecticut State Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Elbert Weinberg Abstract Untitled Sculpture (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Andersonville Boy (about 600 feet away); Major General Clarence Ransom Edwards DSM (about 600 feet away); Orville Hitchcock Platt (approx. 0.2 miles away); Joseph Roswell Hawley (approx. 0.2 miles away); Trinity College (approx. 0.2 miles away); Col. Thomas Knowlton (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hartford.

Regarding Rodman "Columbiad" Cannon. "Ordinance" should have been "Ordnance" (no "i").

Also see . . .
1. Columbiad at Wikipedia. (Submitted on May 15, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Thomas Jackson Rodman at Wikipedia. (Submitted on May 15, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. Mammoth Guns. (Submitted on May 15, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)

Rodman "Columbiad" Cannon and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., May 14, 2018

2. Rodman "Columbiad" Cannon and Marker

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., May 14, 2018

3. Rodman "Columbiad" Cannon and Marker

At the Governor O'Neill State Armory

Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 15, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 460 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on March 9, 2021, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 15, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.