At first, the cannon was believed to have been from the
Revolutionary War. But then the students working to restore it found an
inscription, "1882 Watervliet," that may indicate the cannon was made
nearly 70 years too late to have helped defend against the British.
The students belong to the auto body and carpentry shops
of Platt Technical School in Milford, Conn. Talk about a cool project.
According to the Connecticut Post, the students have dismantled the cannon to
paint it and are constructing a new carriage for it out of lumber from a
150-year-old elm tree. The plan is to have the cannon ready for the town's
Memorial Day parade.
"It isn't a car or truck, but we anticipate bringing
it into the painting booth in the auto body shop at some point," Platt Principal
Joe LaPorta told the Connecticut Post.
There had been a mystery as to the cannon's origins, but
now that a foundry mark has been found, it seems clear it's not from the
Revolutionary War.
"If that date of 1882 is a foundry mark, it is what
it is," a historian told the Connecticut Post. "And it is not a
Revolutionary War cannon."
More information:
Read the original article in the Connecticut Post.