History of West Point Foundry Explored in New Book

Dec. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- Releasing on January 13, 2014, Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America: West Point Foundry commemorates the 1817 cannon foundry, which was one of the first major industrial sites in America.  This pictorial history created by authors Trudie A. Grace and Mark Forlow, includes over 200 vintage images and shares the foundry’s impact on American history.

In the most extensive assembly of images of West Point Foundry to date, Images of America: West Point Foundry shares the central role of the foundry in the nation’s industrial development, specifically in the manufacturing of artillery and iron products. These products can be seen throughout the book in images culled from various collections, including the Putnam History Museum and the Library of Congress archives.  Information and anecdotes throughout the book provide readers with the opportunity to learn about the how the foundry manufactured cannons of several types, including Dahlgrens, Rodmans and—most prolifically—Parrott rifles, which were widely employed and crucial to the Union victory.

By tracing the foundry’s story from its early years through the period of Civil War production to its eventual status as a site of archaeological excavation, the authors hope that their book will inspire students and those passionate about early industrial history in America.  Authors Grace and Furlow shared that “a wealth of research has been presented in this book; yet there is still more to be told beyond its pages.”

Highlights of West Point Foundry include:

•Period illustrations and photographs of early Parrott rifles.
•The foundry’s connection to early American steam powered ships, due to the manufacturing of marine engines and boilers.
•Images of early locomotives and trains manufactured at West Point Foundry.
•The foundry as a muse for artists, due to its site in the Hudson Highlands.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.