The Shot Tower Historical State Park sits on the New River in Austinville, Virginia. The 215-year-old tower was conceived by Thomas Jackson, a local miner and business owner. It took seven years to complete the 75-foot high tower of limestone, quarried from the Austinville mine about a mile away. Inside the tower is a 75-foot-deep shaft, that reaches river level. The tower was used to mold “shot,” which was sold to settlers as ammunition. This was done by pouring molten lead from the top of the tower through sieves of…
