Existing comment:
Large Arsenal
Serious problems plagued the weapons stored in this two-story structure built in 1799.
Floods and high humidity posed constant threats. Sparks from wood-burning locomotives presented a fire hazard. Inadequate storage space caused overcrowding and improper maintenance.
United States troops burned the structure in 1861 during the Civil War to prevent its seizure by Virginia forces, but later reroofed it and used it as a bakery to produce soft bread for Union troops operating in the Shenandoah Valley. |