On July 5, 1897, the A.W. Chapman Post of the Grand Army of the Republic dedicated this gun and grounds to the memories of those who fought in the Civil War in defense of the flag. This 11 inch bore Dahlgren was built in 1864 at Hinkley, Williams & Co., Boston, Massachusetts, for service in the Civil War. Cast hollow and bored out on a lathe, the gun has a finished weight of 15,890 lbs. Using 15 lbs. of gunpowder, this smoothbore cannon can hurl a 130 lb. exploding shell or 200 lb. solid shot over 2 miles. Removed from the U.S.S. Marion in 1876, the cannon's previous service is uncertain.