Shot Tower
United States historic place in Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland. Added to the National Register in 1969, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
The Phoenix Shot Tower, also known as the Old Baltimore Shot Tower, is a red brick shot tower, 234.25 feet (71.40 m) tall, located near the downtown, Jonestown, and Little Italy communities of East Baltimore, in Maryland. The tower was built in less than 6 months. When it was completed in 1828 it was the tallest structure in the United States.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | SE corner of Fayette and Front Sts., Baltimore (Independent City), MD |
| Independent city | City of Baltimore |
| Listed | Oct 1, 1969 |
| Listed for | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Phoenix Shot Tower; Baltimore Shot Tower; Merchant's Shot Towe |
| Reference number | 69000373 |
| Type of place | shot tower |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | SE corner of Fayette and Front Sts., Baltimore (Independent City), MD |
| Coordinates | 39.2907° N, 76.6055° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Baltimore (Independent City) | 282 listed places in Baltimore (Independent City) → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail · under a mile · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Greenbelt Campground 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Ranger Station 27 miles |
Explore
Map
Nearby in City of Baltimore
Local history books for City of Baltimore
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Guidebooks to historic places in Maryland
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Shot Tower listed on the National Register?
Oct 1, 1969. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Shot Tower?
SE corner of Fayette and Front Sts., Baltimore (Independent City), City of Baltimore, Maryland. The nearest national park unit is Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, under a mile away.
Where is the nomination form for Shot Tower?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Shot Tower?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Greenbelt Campground, 26 miles away. Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas is 26 miles away, and Greenbelt Park Ranger Station is 27 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Shot Tower?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 69000373. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.