Site 9: Arsenal
on the
St. Louis Sundial Trail
The St. Louis Arsenal is an active Defense Department facility that is now the site of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It is managed by the U. S. Air Force as a secure facility with restricted public access. The Arsenal has served as a military support base since it was established in 1827. Several buildings constructed from 1827 to 1871 remain. The Arsenal was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. A document regarding this registration can be seen on the internet at http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/75002139.pdf. Following are two sections copied from this document. The sundial mentioned in the second section remains at the Arsenal.
On page 76 in his book, St. Louis Arsenal - Armory Of The West, R. McGuire* displays a picture of the sundial for which the caption reads "On December 12, 1859, master armorer N. Engels, machinist A. Schaedel, and engraver W. Hawksley dedicated a sundial, which they had created entirely from spare ordnance materials. It was a scientifically precise instrument, measuring 17 inches in diameter, and was used for many years as the definitive chronometer of the arsenal. Engraved upon it was a poem entitled 'The Bird of Liberty,' reflecting the patriotic fervor of the day." McGuire's book also contains, on page 108, a Site Plan of the St. Louis Arsenal in 1865 which indicates the location of the dial within the Arsenal complex at that time. The corner posts of the fence surrounding the dial are made from cannons, and the other posts are made from musket barrals. This sundial has protective armor; the lid, seen open, can be closed.
The Arsenal sundial is pictured below in a more recent photograph.
* Randy R. McGuire, St. Louis Arsenal - Armory
Of The West, Arcadia Publishing, Chicago, IL, ISBN 0-7385-0780-6,
2001.
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