Last updated: June 10, 2024
Place
Gunpowder Magazine
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Tactile Exhibit
This small room confused archaeologists. Because the excavated floor and lower walls showed evidence of discoloration from fire, and also because of it's relative isolation, the room is currently interpreted as a powder magazine. One archeologist has speculated on the possibility of it being a smokehouse, finding the room "admirably" sized and located for such use.
This room is furnished with 28 barrels of gunpowder stacked by sizes. Many such barrels, depending upon their capacity, were referred to as a keg or cask. In 1839, one order from the Bent, St. Vrain & Company contained 20 kegs of Dupont gunpowder weighing 1,000 pounds total. During the era of Bent's Old Fort, Dupont gunpowder made in Wilmington, Delaware was being widely used at trading posts across the frontier.
This room is furnished with 28 barrels of gunpowder stacked by sizes. Many such barrels, depending upon their capacity, were referred to as a keg or cask. In 1839, one order from the Bent, St. Vrain & Company contained 20 kegs of Dupont gunpowder weighing 1,000 pounds total. During the era of Bent's Old Fort, Dupont gunpowder made in Wilmington, Delaware was being widely used at trading posts across the frontier.