SUMMER GETAWAY: Physics, History, and Fun Combine at Shot Tower
A unique tower, outdoor adventures, lessons in physics, and the founder of Texas can all be found in Southwest Virginia.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Travel south down I77, and amid the rolling foothills of the Appalachians rises a more-than-200-year-old, 75-foot tower that bears testament to the area’s place in American history.
Named “Shot Tower,” it rises in Austinville, which may well have a claim to being the heart of the American Revolution.
But let’s start with the tower. Opened in 1807, the tower took seven years to construct. Its purpose was made plain by the name — it produced “shot” for firearms.
While the concept of constructing a tower to produce shot was not developed in Austinville (that credit goes to William Watts of England who patented the process in 1782), this particular tower’s construction may be unique among shot towers in the world. It’s also only one of three still standing in America.
Prior to shot towers, molds were used to caste metal into shot. The process was slow, and expensive. Shot towers greatly speeded up the process.
Lead was melted at the top of the tower, then poured through a copper sieve. As the metal fell, surface tension and gravity shaped the lead into spherical balls. (The following British movie from the 1950s demonstrates the process. To learn more about the physics involved, visit Engineering Clicks)
New River Trail State Park
There’s more than a shot tower to see in Austinville, however. The tower sits along the New River, as well as the New River Trail State Park. Park at the shot tower and discover walking trails, fishing, and boating.
Tours are regularly available for the tower, as well as special events and walking tours that are held at the state park. (Learn more by visiting the schedule maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.)
The trail itself extends nearly 58 miles, with endpoints in Pulaski and Galax.
Back to the ‘Heart’ of the American Revolution
Before there was the shot tower, Austinville in Wythe County was renowned as part of the “lead mines” that populated the county. Discovered in 1757, the mining of lead in the region received a spark in 1775 with the passage of the Fincastle Resolution. (Read here for a scholarly treatment of the resolution; Wikipedia offers a briefer, but useful write-up.)
The resolution reportedly was the first statement adopted by colonists whereby individuals swore to resist the British in order to preserve political liberties.
Various markers in the area bear testament to the event.
And for those with a passion for the Lone Star State, there’s reason to visit, too. Stephen F. Austin was born in Austinville in 1793 — his father and uncle ran the lead mines from 1789 to 1798. Austin, of course, went on to become the “Father of Texas.”
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Sounds like a great day trip or overnighter. Thanks for sharing.