Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Jackson Ferry Shot Tower Linocut, Ms2010-050, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower Linocut was purchased by Special Collections in 2010.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower Linocut were commenced and completed in June 2010.

Historical Note

The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower is located in Shot Tower Historical Park in Wythe County, Virginia. In 1969, it became listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tower is one of the last of its kind to remain intact in the United States and it contains many unique features.

In 1806, an English immigrant named Thomas Jackson bought the land upon which the shot tower now sits for $19,000. He oversaw the construction of the tower, which was completed in 1812. Contrary to local lore, the lead shot it produced was used commercially instead of for the War of 1812. Such commercial production was in demand after President Thomas Jefferson imposed the Embargo Act of 1808. Although Thomas Jackson died in 1824, his nephew Robert Raper took over the tower's operations and continued lead shot production until 1839.

Several construction and design features of the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower make it unique. Although brick is the standard tower building material, the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower's walls consist of limestone mined in a quarry less than a mile away; these walls are approximately 2.5 ft thick. Additionally, the tower is built on a cliff, with half of the required shaft length of 150ft built above ground and the other half dug below. The subterranean half of the shaft was hand-dug to save construction costs; seven bodies of slaves as work fatalities are located in a nearby cemetery. In the tower's lead shot production, the water used to cool the dropped lead came from the nearby New River and the lead itself came from local Austinville lead mines.

A year before the linocut's creation, the tower was presented by a descent of Robert Raper to the daughters of the American Revolution. However, the tower was later given to the Lead Mines Ruritan Club in 1952. Restoration began in 1964, when the tower was given to the Virginia Division of State Parks for perpetual care.

External source:

"Shot Tower Historical State Park." DCR. Department of Conservation and Recreation Virginia State Parks, 9 Feb. 2010. Web. 30 June 2010. https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/shot-tower , accessed May 5, 2023.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a 12 by 9 black and white linocut print, c.1930. It depicts the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower in Wythe County, Virginia, surrounded by a dense copse.

Related Material

Also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives is A Short Historical and Physical Description of Wythe County, Virginia: Showing all its Mineral, Agricultural and Commercial Resources and Prospects , compiled by H.M. Hauser (F232.W9 H59 2005 Spec Large).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower Linocut by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).