Arsenal at New London, Virginia

New London, Virginia was home to an arsenal that manufactured and supplied weapons and equipment for the Continental Army and state militias during the American Revolution. Weapons from the arsenal were used to support several important campaigns, including Colonel George Rogers Clark’s Northwest expedition and General Nathaniel Greene’s Southern campaign. After the war, the arsenal remained under state control until 1794 when Congress passed an act authorizing the War Department to construct “three or four arsenals” to keep the army properly equipped . With its already established arsenal, New London was a natural choice. However, with the establishment of the National Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, VA, the process of moving the arsenal at New London to the larger federal arsenal began in 1798. Despite no longer being used to manufacture weapons, the New London facility continued to be used for military storage until at least 1812 and would eventually be abandoned altogether. Although the original arsenal structure is no longer standing, it is suspected to be located on the Bedford Alum Springs Hotel property. These suspicions have been reenforced further with the uncovering of munitions from the period located on the property through archeological test surveys conducted in the spring of 2020.