Baltimore – Shot Tower

This impressive brick built tower in Baltimore was the tallest structure in the United States when it was completed in 1828 and it wasn’t over-taken until 1846 when Trinity Church in New York opened.

The purpose of the shot tower was to make lead shot, which was done by dropping molten lead from the top to then plunge into cold water at the base of the tower. It remained in operation until the turn of the twentieth century when more efficient production methods were discovered.

The structure was added to the National Historic Landmark register in 1971 and it is one of only three remaining shot towers in the United States. Unfortunately the tower only opens at weekends, and I wasn’t in Baltimore on a weekend…. But, maybe I’ll get to go back and see inside one day.