Phoenix Iron Works

Phoenix Iron Works

Significance:

The marker commemorates the site of the Phoenix Iron Works. Its significance lies in the fact that:   

• Approximately 200 feet southwest of this marker, the Phoenix Iron Works cast the first gun for the Confederate Navy on May 4, 1861.   
• The gun was a Dahlgren cannon and fired an 8-inch diameter explosive shell.
• Sylvester Bennett was the proprietor of the Phoenix Iron Works at this important time.   

This marker is significant because it highlights an early contribution of the Gretna area to the Confederate war effort, specifically the production of naval artillery.