Inside the Earthwork

Inside the Earthwork. . , An Unanswered Question , Was there a blockhouse at the Boonesboro earthwork? Because no written records have been found only intensive archaeological investigation can answer that question. However, Captain Thomas Brooks' recommendation specifically called for "...an enclosed earthwork, surrounded by an abattis and enclosing a blockhouse...." If Brooks' plan was carried out, a blockhouse was built at Boonesboro. In all likelihood it was similar to those designed by Colonel William E. Merrill for the Kentucky Central Railroad., Blockhouse Construction , The blockhouse would have occupied the entire interior of the earthwork. Merrill's blockhouses were flat-roofed rectangular log structures measuring about 18 x 25 feet. The floor was dirt. The roof was made of a layer of logs laid side by side and covered with dirt. On top of that was a roof of shingles, if they could be procured, or boards and battens., Blockhouses were designed to house the garrison assigned to them. To this end, they were equipped with ventilators, water tanks and bunks. The only wall openings were the loopholes, which were just large enough to fire a rifle through. The interior would have been dark and stuffy, not the most pleasant of accommodations.