History

Helping to Preserve an Explosive Piece of Alamo History

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Tony Maples Photography

 

The Alamo is famous for several things: The heroics of an army comprised of a ragtag bunch of Texians, the scenery that includes the mission building with a vast, barren landscape (in sharp contrast to the current landscape of the downtown San Antonio of today,) and the cannons that were used in the battle. Twenty-one cannons in all were used during the 1836 siege of The Alamo and seven of those cannons are still located at The Alamo.

Seven of the Twenty-One Cannons Remain

alamo cannon

Photo: Facebook/The Alamo

“Few historical battle sites have cannons that were used at the site during battle,” said Alamo CEO Doug McDonald. “The Alamo is fortunate to have seven of the 21 cannon that were present during the 1836 siege and battle. We want to make sure these important pieces are here for visitors to enjoy for years to come.” So, in an effort to preserve these pieces of important history, preservation work will be performed in partnership with the Texas A&M University Conservation Research Lab in College Station, Texas. The cannons will be sent to the lab at Texas A&M two at a time, and upon their return, will be re-installed at the Alamo for visitors to continue to enjoy.

Among the Most Treasured of Texas Artifacts

Alamo cannon

Photo: Facebook/The Alamo

The Alamo’s cannon collection represents the largest collection of Texas Revolution artillery that visitors can see in one place. “We are committed to ensuring long-term, extensive preservation and conservation plans for the Alamo’s historic buildings and artifacts,” said Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush. “The 1836 battle cannon are among Texas’ most treasured artifacts, and it’s up to us to ensure they receive the care and honor they deserve so that future generations may visit and remember.”

To follow the progress of the cannon restoration, follow The Alamo on Facebook. To donate money toward the preservation efforts and learn more, check out the GoFundMe page for this campaign.