Henry's Gun Factory
Plainfield Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Here rifles and other firearms were made for use in the War of 1812. Built by William Henry, 2nd, about 1800, the famous Henry shotgun was made here as late as 1904. The site is about half a mile away.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
About 1800, William Henry II built a firearms works in this Northampton County valley, part of a noted gunmaking family whose craftsmanship armed Americans across generations. Rifles and muskets made here supplied troops in the War of 1812, and the Henry name endured on shotguns produced as late as 1904. The factory was one of the small, skilled arms shops that gave the young nation its firepower.
Why it matters
The Henry works reflects the early American gun trade—private craftsmen whose forges helped equip the republic's soldiers and settlers.
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Related people
- · William Henry
Themes & tags
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