CARLISLE, Pa. — The Army Heritage Center on Wednesday announced that it has began exploring the history of the Hessian Powder Magazine building on the Carlisle Barracks.
The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974, due to its architectural and military significance, the Heritage Center said. The building is also considered to be a contributing structure to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which is another National Historic Landmark.
The HEC's examination of the building will include collating of historical records, documenting and assessing the architecture, construction techniques and materials and a survey of the archaeological work and the sub surface area around the building.
The HEC assumed greater authority and interpretive/educational responsibilities for the Hessian Powder Magazine building in 2023. The building was part of the Continental Army Depot at Carlisle (informally known as “Washingtonburg”) established in 1777, the HEC said.
Examination work on the building began with a remote sensing survey of the subsurface of the building, the HEC said. The survey team consisted of Dr. Jonathan Burns of Juniata College and James Stuby of Stuby Subsurface.
A full archeological survey by staff at Juniata College is slated to begin this month, the HEC said.
The HEC will also prepare a full Historic Structures report on the building with help from the U.S. Army War College and HEC faculty.
The results and report will be sent to USAHEC in two weeks and the data will be reviewed, assessed and compared to primary source documents including early maps of Carlisle Barracks and reports from Carlisle during 1777, the HEC said.
