Beverly Powder House-- Part 4: Only Military Use Came in War of 1812

The Beverly (Massachusetts) Powder House was built in 1809 and was the town's third munitions supply house.  Its first was built near the town center in 1765.

In addition to its construction of this building, the town also authorized construction  of a structure to hose two cannons and associated equipment; it has not survived and its location is not known.

The Powder House's only significant military use came during the War of 1812, when local militia mustered there after a British attack on nearby Gloucester.

It was taken out of service in 1840, as the state transitioned to more centralized armories for militia munitions.

--Brock-Perry

Beverly Powder House (Massachusetts)-- Part 3

From Wikipedia.

A historic military storage magazine on Powder House Lane in Beverly, Massachusetts.  Built in 1809, this small brick building housed the town's military supplies during the War of 1812.  Listed on the NRHP in 2019.

It stands amidst residences built in the late  19th and early 20th centuries.

It is an eight-sided brick structure with a shingled roof built on a wood frame mounted over a brick dome.  The walls have no windows, but is designed  to allow for the passage of air  through the structure, with circuitous passages  through the brickwork.

The building is 17.5 feet  in diameter near its base and rises 12.5 feet from its stone foundation to its eaves.  Its wooden door is attached to  a frame by iron strap hinges.  The interior is finished with wooden siding, with shelving  fastened to framing  embedded in the brick walls by wood pegs.

--Brock-Perry

Beverly Powder House Restoration Complete-- Part 2: Safer Than Keeping Gunpowder in Your House with Walls Four Feet Thick

The Powder House was built in 1809 on land sold to the town by Nathan Dane for $30.  Dane was a Harvard Law School graduate and Beverly lawyer.  He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and helped draft the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.  He was also very involved with the Hartford Convention during the War of 1812.

The Beverly Powder House was built on the then-undeveloped Powder House Hill following an 1805 ordinance that barred residents from keeping more than 25 pounds of gunpowder in their homes or businesses in recognition that the previous powder house was too close to residences and the town center.

Through the mid-nineteenth century, powder houses were built to hold large amounts of gunpowder because it was much safer than having residents store  the gunpowder in their homes.

The Beverly Powder House  is located on Prospect Hill (originally Powder House Hill) and is the second oldest municipal building  in Beverly after City Hall.  The structure is the only octagonal powder house extant in New England, with brick walls that measure four feet thick.

However, it saw its only wartime use during the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry