The Round Tower

Soldiers could defend the fort from high atop the Round Tower. Some of the musket slits on this building face inside the fort's walls, while others face outside. The tower was the last line of defense. A 12 pound field gun was mounted on top of the tower in the 1820s. The garrison flag flew atop this tower from 1839 to 1861, when a metal roof was installed. In 1869, fire gutted the building, and stones reddened by flames are still visible. In the late 1930s, the tower became a museum, and its walls were stabilized by making them a foot thicker from the inside. The tower has served as an ordnance storehouse, a museum, a private home, and a commercial hair salon.

Minnesota · United States