click zoom to display a high-res image
Summary
SHOT TOWER
Tower Hill State Park, Town of Wyoming, Iowa County
Architect: Unknown
Date of Construction: 1831-1833
The Shot Tower, constructed between 1831-1833 is located at Tower Hill State Park. Used for the production of lead bullets or shot, the Tower consists of a wood frame "melting house" which rises from a ledge about a third of the way down the side of a steep bluff. The tower covers a 120 foot vertical shaft dug through the ledge to the base of the bluff. At the base of the cliff lies a horizontal tunnel 90 feet in length, leading to the base of the shaft. The tunnel and shaft were hand dug, the principal tools being the lead-miner's pick and gad. Both the tunnel and shaft are approximately six feet in diameter. At the bottom of the shaft is a round basin of water about three feet deep. Carefully measured balls of molten lead were dropped down the shaft and plunged into water to create rounded lead shot.
The old shot tower is a rare surviving piece of Wisconsin pioneer technology. It is reflects the importance of this lead-rich region to the Wisconsin settlement and played an important role in the state's early commerce by supplying lead shot that was moved along a trade route from the lead region to Green Bay and Milwaukee.
The Shot Tower is open to the public during Tower Hill State Park operating hours.
Property Details
Resources Within The Property
Designations
NR1789
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or have other questions about the registers, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Shot Tower Tunnel
1950
View across river towards the tunnel leading to the bottom of the shot tower shaft at Tower Hill State Park. There is a rustic bridge on the right leading to the entrance of the tunnel.
Tower Hill Bluff
1945
View from the bluff at Tower Hill State Park of the Wisconsin River. A sign on the right reads: "Tower Hill State Park Shot Shaft".
3740 County PD
100006108
Located in Town of Nasewaupee, Door County
The Shot Shaft at Tower Hill State Park
The 120 foot shot shaft below the shot tower at Tower Hill State Park.
