On May 22, 1776, the fifth revolutionary convention approved a proposal to construct a cannon foundry and a blast furnace for the manufacture of ordnance. A site at Westham, near Richmond, was purchased and construction began immediately. When it was completed, the foundry complex included eight blast furnaces, a boring mill, and the foundry, besides all the buildings necessary to house workers and store supplies.
From the description of Accounts, 1776-1789. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122481613