This diagram of the Virginia Shot Tower of
Wytheville, Virginia shows both the 75 foot stone tower and the 75 foot
ground shaft. The total drop was 150 feet. This is the only
known tower of
this type in the United States and still stands today. Smelted
lead
from the nearby Austinville mines was melted at the top of the tower
and poured through a sizing sieve to produce small droplets. Surface
tension caused the molted lead to assume a spherical shape that solidified
during its 150-foot fall. The shot was then collected in a water-filled kettle at the bottom of the shaft. The "drop process" was
patented in England in 1769 by William Watts, a craftsman of Bristol,
England. He profited handsomely from its prevalent use. The tower was
built by Thomas Jackson, an English immigrant, in 1807. The tower and
grounds were restored through the efforts of local organizations,
individuals, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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