Powder House Dedication

  • 20 Sep 2012
  • 10:00 AM
  • Powder House, Godfrey's Hill, 57 Low St., Newburyport, Mass.

Registration

Powder House Dedication
set for Thursday, September 20

The formal dedication ceremony for Newburyport's restored 1822 Powder House will be held at the Godfrey's Hill site off Low Street site at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012. The ceremony, marking nine years of planning and restoration, guided in recent years by the Newburyport Preservation Trust and funded by donations and grants, will include remarks by supportive dignitaries, recognition of generous donors, and tours showcasing the restoration work.

As a member of the Newburyport Preservation Trust, you are invited to attend the ceremony as we express our gratitude to supporters of the restoration project.

In the ensuing weeks and months, the finishing touches --- landscaping, parking, and interpretive panels, to name a few --- will be applied. Ultimately the Powder House will serve Newburyport as a park and learning center for the edification of all.

The distinctive circular brick Powder House was built in 1822, replacing an earlier Powder House at Old Hill Burying Ground, as a safe place to store gunpowder, flints, musket balls, and camp kettles used by the local militia in the unsettled aftermath of the War of 1812. The secure structure, built well away from homes, was also used to store gunpowder for non-military uses such as road or bridge construction. The Powder House was used beyond the Civil War years, but since then survived over a century of neglect.

Driving directions: U.S. Rte. 95 to Exit 57/Route 113 East. Turn right on Low Street. The Powder House (57 Low Street) is across the street from the Rupert A Nock Middle School. Park at the school parking lot. No toilet facilities are available at the site. The walk to the site includes a slight incline.

Admission: FREE

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