Virginia. Manufactory of Arms

Section 17, chapter 27, of the 1850 Code of Virginia authorized the governor to have houses constructed for the storage of cannon. This series concerns a gun house built in the town of Smithfield.

The Virginia Manufactory of Arms was established by an act passed by the General Assembly on 23 January 1798. The manufactory, which served as an armory as well, opened in Richmond in 1802 and reached full operating capacity by 1809. Its purpose was to furnish the state's militia with standard muskets, pistols, swords, and bayonets. It did its job so well that in December 1822 the General Assembly voted to close it, in part because of an economic recession and the increased use of weapons provided by the federal government. The building fell into disrepair until the machinery from the Harpers Ferry armory was installed in 1861 and the manufactory was leased to the Confederate government. In 1865 the structure was gutted during the Richmond evacuation fire. The remaining walls were pulled down in 1900.

The Virginia Manufactory of Arms produced and repaired thousands of weapons and employed hundreds of artisans. Two supervisors - John Clarke (1798-1808) and John Staples (1809-1821) - oversaw the operations of the factory.