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Drop It Like It's Shot: New York's Shot Towers
If you were able to gaze at the skyline of New York in the 18th or 19th century, you might notice some strange towers sprouting up across the city. These towers existed to keep early New Yorkers locked and loaded and were essential in the creation of lead shot for ammunition.
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In the 19th century, these shot towers soared above all other buildings. This particular tower, built in the year 1855 by James Bogardus, was over 175 feet tall with an octagonal base formed from 11 iron pillars.
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New York World Building
The height of the towers was necessary for the creation of the shot. Arsenic-laced melted iron would be brought up to the top of the towers and poured through a sieve. As it dropped, the molten iron would cool and form a circular shape before landing in a vessel of water. This would create a perfectly spherical lead shot.
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With some towers creating 15 tons of shot a day, the noise was cacophonous as the iron clattered down from the top. As they became obsolete, the towers were razed. Metal merchant George Youle's tower (pictured) was built in 1821 and was the last of New York's shot towers to be demolished in 1920.
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