Collection	Marblehead Buildings
Date	1983
Abstract	Drawing of details of Old Powderhouse, Including the Door & frame, Cut-a-way of roof to show interior and drawing of shelves inside. Inscription on top to left of center: The mortared dome had to be covered to prevent the slowly seeping rain from penetrating the interior. The (unclear) roof line allows the curve and then rises to a central post. The original wooden door opened inward on it's iron hinges was supplemented by a (later) iron covered door. The wooden door still has it's original lock. The two holes in the brick wall flanking the door mark two passages to the interior. These passages move up one course and shift over inward towards door as they move towards the interior. These passages provide necessary air to the powder that would keep it dry. The iron inside of the wall keeps out rain and other intrusions. Inscription on top to right of center: An indispensable element of any sizable colonial settlement, the powder house, was the essence of impregnable strength. The Marblehead powder house is one of the few remaining intact through out the Revolutionary War. Constructed of brick and mortar the walls of the powder house are two feet thick at the height of a man around six feet. The brick walls of the under (unclear) in to form a (unclear) following the form of a hemisphere. The thickness of the dome diminishes to the length of one brick about eight inches. One can see this (unclear) in the in- terior of the dome as the bricks no longer laid horizontal. as is conventional but are laid vertically. Their butt has been exposed. One (unclear) the form work used to construct this dome either wooden beams were bent and covered with planks or a mound of earth was deposited and formed into a hemisphere. Note inside the floor plan: Wooden planks provided an inner liner between powder and masonry. A wooden floor was placed on the soil. Planks were beveled to fit. A metal door has been added in front of original wood one.
Home Location	I Tube CanF. Runway. Wood Shelf Top
Object ID	2001-017-078
Object Name	Drawing
People	Byerly, Peter
Search Terms	Powder House
Title	The Old Powder House: built 1755

Rev. 2.0 2/2013 Contact the Historical Commission at 781-639-3425 or e-mail us (please include the "Object ID" number, not the Record Number)     historic@marblehead.org
Last modified on: February 22, 2013