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
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