More about the Apalachicola Arsenal - Chattahoochee, Florida

This photograph, from an old postcard dating from the the early 20th century, shows the main arsenal building and tower at Chattahoochee, Florida, when they were still standing.

These are the same structures visible in the sketch by the Comte de Castlenau that I posted yesterday. It is generally believed that the large brick building was the "arsenal proper" or main storage facility of the Apalachicola Arsenal. This is the place where weapons were storehoused when the facility was still used as a military depot and was the primary target of the Quincy militia when they took control of the arsenal in January of 1861.

Gunpowder and explosives were stored nearby in a separate vaulted magazine that was separated from the main arsenal compound for reasons of safety.

The purpose of the tower is not entirely clear, but it probably was a "shot tower." These towers were used to mass produce lead musket balls by dropping the molten lead down a shaft leading from the top of the tower to a container of water at the bottom. The lead would form into a round ball as it fell and would cool instantly upon hitting the water.

Neither of these buildings still stand, but several other structures from the old complex can still be identified on the grounds of Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee.