Friday, August 17, 2007
Shot Tower Historical State Park, Va
Shot Tower Historical State Park.
My guess is most people drive by this site without ever stopping. Sometimes during our travels we will see a brown sign that says, Camel Back Bridge next exit, or Historic Covered Bridge next exit and we get off the highway only to find out it is 37 miles in the reverse direction of the way we are traveling.
But just a short distance from I-77 in Southwest Virginia stands a beautiful stone structure near the banks of the New River. It was built over 150 years ago to serve the ammunition needs of the early settlers. A nearby Mine in Austinville supplied the Shot Tower with lead to melt and pour down the 75 foot tall tower before passing through a sieve and falling an additional 75 feet down into a kettle of water.
LOCATION: From I-77, take exit 24 and go north on Route 52 for two miles.
There is much more information available at the tower and on the website, but one of the nicest things about the tower is that it is a great stop to use the park restrooms and take an interesting and educational break from the highway.
One of our favorite places to stop for a break.
