Gun Shed

History

This shed was built by the soldiers to house the fort’s field pieces. These cannons were mounted on high wheels which allowed them to be hauled easily across a battlefield, hence their name.  The shed was likely constructed sometime in the 1820s, but the earliest known image of it is a drawing on a map of the fort dating from 1835.

Cannons were named for the weight of the solid cannonball they fired.  A gun that fired a cannon ball weighing 6 pounds was called a “6 pounder,” one that fired a 12 pound ball was called a “12 pounder,” and so on.  In 1834 the fort had three 6 pounders, two 12 pounders, and two 24 pound howitzers.

Today

The reconstructed Gun Shed is still used for its original purpose and houses the site's functioning cannon, one of which is fired daily during the summer.