Existing comment:
Plans:
Requested by Governor James Wood to recommend a site, Powhattan County millright John Clarke suggested a six-acre tract between the James River Canal and the river, well-suited both for delivery of raw materials and for waterpower to drive the armory's machinery.
When the legislature authorized a manufactory of arms in 1798, Clarke was entrusted to draw up plans. He visited other American armories, especially the federal armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he studied factory layout, bookkeeping, and testing methods. His resulting plans called for a workforce of 150 with daily production of sixteen muskets, six pistols, and seven swords.
In 1801, Clarke made a second trip to the north to recruit skilled gunsmiths. By year's end, he reported to Governor James Monroe that the manufactory would soon commence operations. |