Subject:
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Re: Model of Colonial Williamsburg's Powder Magazine
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.build.arch
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Date:
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Wed, 25 Apr 2001 21:11:42 GMT
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Viewed:
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735 times
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That's a terrific looking model. I love the realism and interior detail.
The brickwork is also probably the nicest I've seen done with Lego.
--
Paul Davidson
Greg Perry <supernerd23@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:GC5qBJ.4or@lugnet.com...
> Greetings -
>
> I want to share some pictures of a project I recently completed after a
> couple of months of occasional work and multiple purchases from Brickbay.
> I have built a LEGO version of the historic building Colonial • Williamsburg's
> Powder Magazine.
>
> Here are my pictures:
> http://brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4145
>
> The Powder Magazine is one of the oldest, continuously standing buildings • in
> Williamsburg, having been constructed in 1714. It was built as a storage
> facility for military supplies provided by the British government for the
> protection of its colony in Virginia. Inventories from the period show • that
> at times it contained up to a few thousand muskets and hundreds of pounds • of
> gunpowder. The building, with its octagonal shape, is supposedly the • design
> of the then Royal Governor, Alexander Spotswood. The reconstructed wall
> which surrounds the building today (but not in my model) was added as • extra
> protection during the French & Indian War (late 1750's).
>
> The Magazine was used as a military warehouse until late in the American
> Revolution when the capital of Virginia was moved to Richmond. In the
> intervening years between those events and the restoration of Williamsburg
> in the 1920's and 30's, the building was used for a number of purposes • such
> as a market, stable, home and church.
>
> In trying to recreate the Magazine in LEGO form I have built it as a • mixture
> between the way the building probably looked in the early 18th century
> (before the outer wall was added) and the way it is set up as a museum
> exhibit today. The basic layout of the building is the same as in • colonial
> times but as a warehouse, the inside would have consisted of stacks of
> crates, barrels and kegs - the guns and other equipment would not have • been
> displayed in racks as they are today for visitors.
>
> The building itself consists of three main rooms. The ground floor has • two
> rooms with no communication between them on the inside. The front room is
> believed to have been used as the main powder storage room. This room • also
> provided access to the circular stairs that lead to the second floor.
>
> The other room on the ground floor was the workshop where small repairs
> (that didn't require a forge) could be carried out. This room was also • used
> for storage of other tools and utensils necessary for military campaigns.
>
> The second floor is the main storage area and it is here that the bulk of
> the weapons would have been stored. Muskets, pistols, bayonets, swords • and
> halberds were all provided for the outfitting of a colonial militia during
> times of trouble. The weapons were generally throwaways from the regular
> British army with the main one being the famous Brown Bess flintlock • musket.
>
> The upper attic area under the roof (not shown in either my model or the
> exhibit in the real building) is thought to have been used for the storage
> of lighter supplies such as tents, blankets and cooking utensils.
>
> During the mid-1980's I worked at the Powder Magazine as a tour guide and
> spent many hours crawling around and sitting inside it contemplating what • a
> great building it is (I now desperately want to build an octagonal house • to
> live in). Inevitably my ruminations would be disturbed by some • atrociously
> clad tourist popping up in front of me to ask questions such as, "So, did
> they used to shoot Injuns out these windows?" or "Is this where the
> Confederates and the Red Coats fought?" Even better were the ones who • would
> argue that "They didn't have bricks back then!" or "Those guns can't • really
> kill people!"
>
> I've been planning the building of the Magazine for over a year now and
> finally found the time to get started. One of the things that kept me • from
> diving in for a long time was trying to figure out how I could do the • roof.
> I knew that the hinged plates were my best bet but then it took me while • to
> assemble a collection of the grey wing pieces and then I was baffled by • how
> I was going to finish off the crown. I tried a couple of different • designs
> before going with the one you see in the pictures that makes use of slopes
> and a stair-step design for the angled sides.
>
> As for the angled sides - these were also another design challenge that I
> thought about for a long time. At first I was thinking in terms of trying
> to use either angled bricks or perhaps attaching straight walls with • hinges.
> The problem with the first idea is that it would take a small fortune to
> amass enough red angled bricks and the problem with the second is that • while
> it might look better from the outside, I wouldn't be able to put in floors
> and details on the inside.
>
> I was inspired to use the stair-step method for the sides after checking • out
> Nathan's Mushroom Houses at last years' Brickfest. After first starting
> with a all-Red design I decided that it would look more authentic speckled
> with tan and grey bricks. I think that overall the model came out pretty
> good and I've happy with the results (just wish I could take some better
> pictures).
>
> Finally, (if you're still with me after the preceding ramble) I posted a
> couple of pictures of old postcards of the Magazine so that you can see • what
> the actual building looked like back in the early 20th century.
>
> Hope you enjoy,
>
> Greg
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