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

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. 39° 38.411′

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

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hager’s Fancy (within shouting distance of this marker); Hager House and Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); Jonathan Hager House (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Vietnam War Veterans Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); Great Indian Warrior/Trading Path (approx. 0.2 miles away); 202 South Prospect Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); 175 South Prospect Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); 169 South Prospect St. (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hagerstown.

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, 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 and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, July 17, 2011

2. Mt. Aetna Cannon and Marker

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 June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,667 times since then and 54 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.