Classic Cannons In Patterson Park To Get A Spectacular Makeover

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Some iconic pieces of Baltimore history are about to get a makeover. A few of them are more than 300 years old.

Ron Matz has more on what's in store for the cannons of Patterson Park.

Forrest Taylor is a cannon expert from Carroll County. His mission is to restore seven classic cannons in Patterson Park.

"What's so unique is every gun here at this historic site, unlike any other park I have been, is that the cannons are historically correct to the period of the battle that took place here," said Taylor, Cannonsonline.com.

One may date back 400 years.

"Some of the cannons are possibly from around 1650 to 1670. A lot of them appear to be from the early 1700s up to the American Revolution," Taylor said.

Some of the historic weapons were likely used by citizens in the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.

"Each one has to be studied," Taylor said. "They will require an analysis and a procedure designed for each gun. For instance, some guns are encased in concrete and they require a different process from guns exposed to our maritime atmosphere."

The cracked concrete pillars will also be replaced.

"We're working with the Star-Spangled 200 commission for the funding. It's going to be about a $65,000 project to restore these and make sure they're preserved for future generations," said Jennifer Robinson, Friends of Patterson Park.

It's a project from the Friends of Patterson Park.

It will take most of the summer to restore the cannons, but they'll be back by September when a festival will celebrate the Battle of Baltimore's bicentennial.

"The cannons are going to leave the park today, and we'll see them again in a couple of months. We'll miss them, but we're excited to welcome them back in time for the Hampstead Hill Festival in September," Robinson said.

"We're going to make these guns not only good for the artifact itself and for posterity, we're going to preserve their history and make it good for our children and many years to come," Taylor said.

The cannons will be part of the Hampstead Hill Festival in Patterson Park on Sept. 14 as part of the Star-Spangled Spectacular, celebrating the 200th anniversary of our national anthem.

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