Shot Towers were not uncommon in 19th century skylines. One of three in Baltimore, the Phoenix Shot Tower was built on the corner of Fallsway and Fayette St. in 1828.

This is an early 20th century photograph of the old Phoenix Shot Tower in Baltimore. A remarkable photograph showing the giant tower.

Over 234 feet in height, the Shot Tower was the tallest structure in the United States until the Washington Monument in Washington, DC was completed after the Civil War. The Phoenix Shot Tower was a lead shot manufacturing facility that was in operation from 1828 to 1892. 

Shot Towers were not uncommon in 19th century skylines. One of three in Baltimore, the Phoenix Shot Tower was built on the corner of Fallsway and Fayette St. in 1828. This is a late 19th century photograph of the old Phoenix Shot Tower in Baltimore. A remarkable photograph showing the giant tower.

This is the old Peters Shot Tower, located in Kings Mills, Ohio. It was built around 1917. Notice the Peters Circle P logo at the top of the tower. The height of the tower is 220. This tower was built close to the site of their first tower, an all wooden structure built in 1895.

The Peters Cartridge facility began operations around 1880. The facility produced shotgun shells, and rifle and pistol cartridges. Shotgun pellets were made in the 220 foot tall shot tower. Mercury fulminate, used as a primer in cartridges and shells, was produced in a building at the west end of the site. Production of munitions continued at the facility until 1944.

The company had a small creek flow under the tower to provide water to catch the falling lead droplets for cooling purposes. 

A site evaluation of the property conducted in 1987 revealed widespread lead contamination in soils and groundwater. In addition, an expanded site inspection in 1996 detected lead in soil and sediment at highly elevated levels. Testing for mercury confirmed highly elevated levels in soils and sediments on and adjacent to the site.

This is the first Peters Shot Tower, located in Kings Mills, Ohio. It was built in 1895 and demolished in about 1916 to make way for their second tower, pictured above. The tower was an all wooden structure.

The Peters Shot Tower as it appears today. It has been abandoned and is probably due for demolition sometime in the future. 

The old Remington-UMC Shot Tower in Bridgeport, CT. The tower is no longer used as a shot tower but instead is owned Bridgeport Habitat as a "lock-up" or storage facility. It was built in 1909.