Sparks Shot Tower

The Sparks Shot Tower is a historic shot tower located at 129-131 Carpenter Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Opened on July 4, 1808, it was one of the first shot towers in the United States, with the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower in Wythe County, Virginia possibly predating it by a year or so.

Photo: Jack Boucher, Public domain.

Places of Interest Nearby

Highlights include Gloria Dei Church and Independence Hall.

Gloria Dei Church

Church

Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Gloria Dei Church, known locally as Old Swedes', is a historic church located in the Southwark neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 929 South Water Street, bounded by Christian Street on the north, South Christopher Columbus Boulevard on the east, and Washington Avenue on the south. Gloria Dei Church is situated 800 feet east of Sparks Shot Tower.

Independence Hall

Museum

Photo: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were debated and adopted by the Founding Fathers of the United States. Independence Hall is situated 1 mile north of Sparks Shot Tower.

USS New Jersey

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

USS New Jersey is an Iowa-class battleship and the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the U.S. state of New Jersey. She was often referred to fondly as "Big J". USS New Jersey is situated 4,100 feet northeast of Sparks Shot Tower.

Places in the Area

Nearby places include Pennsport and Queen Village.

Pennsport

Neighborhood

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

Pennsport is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Pennsport is home to a large working-class Irish American population, many of them descendants of immigrants from the mid to late 19th century.

Queen Village

Neighborhood

Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Queen Village is a residential neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States that lies along the eastern edge of the city in South Philadelphia.

Little Saigon

Neighborhood

Photo: Minormadam, CC BY 3.0.

One of the largest Vietnamese neighborhoods in the United States is Philadelphia's Little Saigon, located in Passyunk Square, a neighborhood in South Philadelphia.

Sparks Shot Tower

Type: Tower
Description: shot tower in Pennsylvania, United States
Categories: shot tower, historic site, and historic building
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mid-Atlantic, United States, North America
View on OpenStreetMap

Latitude

39.93481° or 39° 56′ 5″ north

Longitude

-75.14634° or 75° 8′ 47″ west

Height

141 feet (43 metres)

Open location code

87F6WVM3+WF

OpenStreetMap ID

way 705302160

OpenStreetMap feature

historic=building

OpenStreetMap feature

man_made=tower

Wikidata ID

Q7573713

This page is based on OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikipedia.

We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.

Satellite Map

Discover Sparks Shot Tower from above in high-definition satellite imagery.

Notable Places Nearby

Highlights include Shot Tower Recreation Center and I-95 Park.

Nearby Places

Explore places such as Front & Carpenter and Palm Tree.

Pennsylvania: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Scranton.

Curious Towers to Discover

Uncover intriguing towers from every corner of the globe.