Hagerstown in Washington County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

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Mt. Aetna Cannon

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2011

1. Mt. Aetna Cannon Marker

Inscription. Mt. Aetna Furnace, at which this cannon was cast in 1776, was located one mile west along Mt. Aetna Road from its predecessor Antietam furnace which was along Mt. Lena Road. Numerous records from the Revolutionary period describe the activities at Antietam Furnace which resulted from the award to the Hughes brothers of a contract to cast cannon for the Continental Army. The extra metal at the muzzle end, into which slag contained in the molten metal would rise, would have been cut off had the center core stayed in place during the casting. As can be seen by viewing the muzzle end, it was far out of place and this piece was discarded to remain hidden for 200 years until it was discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Carl W. Shafer in their garden and presented by them to the Washington County Historical Society.

Production of some 70 cannon in what was then a wilderness area was described by Michael D. Thompson in The Iron Industry in Western Maryland as a "prodigious achievement and an immense contribution to the war effort, unmatched by any other furnace established in any other North American Colony."

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1776.

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 This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby.

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It was located near 39° 38.411′ N, 77° 43.828′ W. Marker was in Hagerstown, Maryland, in Washington County. It was on Key Street near Museum Drive ( Highland Avenue). Located at the Hager House and Museum Grounds. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Hagerstown MD 21740, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in the Baltimore Metro Region

and in Western Maryland.

It was also in the American Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Hager House Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); Hager’s Fancy (within shouting distance of this marker); Jonathan Hager (within shouting distance of this marker); Jonathan Hager House Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); Pieces Left Behind (within shouting distance of this marker); Trial and Error at Mount Aetna Furnace (within shouting distance of this marker); Founder's First Home (within shouting distance of this marker); The Springs at Hager's Fancy (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hagerstown.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Hager House and Museum (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . Antietam Furnace Complex Archeological Site, Maryland.gov. The Antietam Furnace Complex is an eighteenth century Iron furnace located along South Mountain in Washington County,

Mt. Aetna Cannon and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 17, 2011

2. Mt. Aetna Cannon and Marker

Maryland. It was owned and established by the Hughes family, operated circa 1768-1775.... (Submitted on August 2, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

Mt. Aetna Cannon image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 17, 2011

3. Mt. Aetna Cannon

discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Carl W. Shafer in their garden and presented by them to the Washington County Historical Society.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 17, 2011

4. Mt. Aetna Cannon,

The extra metal at the muzzle end, into which slag contained in the molten metal would rise, would have been cut off had the center core stayed in place during the casting.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 17, 2011

5. Mt. Aetna Cannon

As can be seen by viewing the muzzle end, it was far out of place and this piece was discarded to remain hidden for 200 years ...

Mt. Aetna Cannon Preserved at the Hager House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, June 9, 2007

6. Mt. Aetna Cannon Preserved at the Hager House

Mt. Aetna Furnace produced cannon for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The Furnace was located in Washington County, MD to the South of Hagerstown. This cannon still has the sprune on the muzzle used to bleed off excess slag, indicating it was never completed.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,358 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 2, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 6. submitted on June 14, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.