Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Posted by Elaine Marie Cooper

Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Whenever I talk about the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, I usually get a blank stare. When I say it’s now a National Historic Site, the listener’s eyes usually narrow in mild interest, but the question still lingers in their eyes: What on earth is the Springfield Armory?

Well, without the existence of the Springfield Armory and its production of firearms from 1796 to 1968, the United States of America would perhaps not exist as the country it is today. That’s a bold statement—but likely true.

After the American Revolution, the wise leaders of the fledgling nation of America knew that freedom was as secure as its most recent victory over enemy nations. Keeping that freedom was going to require making armaments—plenty of them—and a place to repair, maintain, and store them. But where could they set up such a facility that was not easily reached by an opposing army?

Welding gun barrels

George Washington and Henry Knox decided that, due to its position high on a hill and far away from seaports accessible to enemies, Springfield, Massachusetts was the preferable site. Another smaller armory was set up at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, but this location was destroyed during the Civil War.

So how did this historical fiction author get interested in the Springfield Armory? My research was spurred by a mere mention in a genealogical book of my ancestors in the Springfield area.

This mention led to visits to the Armory a thousand miles from my current home, numerous e-mails back and forth with the historian there (Richard Colton), visits to the Springfield Museum, and perusing newspaper articles from the 1800’s in the museum archives.

All this became the basis for my third book, The Legacy of Deer Run, set in the Springfield Armory in 1800.

This past weekend, I celebrated the release of this novel when I joined the staff at the current Springfield Armory Museum for their annual Armory Day. I signed books there, promoted all three of my Deer Run Saga books (including The Road to Deer Run and The Promise of Deer Run), and met many wonderful folks who love history and love to read! From young readers to the elderly, a book commemorating their local historic site was a joy for these western Massachusetts folks. Their town has a significant role in our country’s history—yet so many in our nation are unaware.

I hope that The Legacy of Deer Run can be a tribute, not just to my own ancestors, but to the hundreds of workers that labored through the years to help keep America safe.

“Huzzah!” to their memory!

For more information on the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, visit:

http://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm

To purchase The Legacy of Deer Run at Amazon, click here:

The Legacy of Deer Run (The Deer Run Saga)

Also available on Kindle and Nook