Commission member seeks marker for Sturdivan's Pond, highlights Revolutionary-era cannon-boring site

At the June 16 meeting the Bridgewater Historical Commission heard a presentation on Sturdivan's Pond and a cannon‑boring device once located there, with a commission member urging a historical marker to recognize the site.

David, a commission member, described the device: a cannon barrel lowered onto a drill bit that at Sturdivan's Pond was powered by a water wheel. He said the device greatly accelerated cannon production — the machine could bore up to "3 in per hour," reducing the time to bore a cannon from about a month to roughly two days. He recounted that a French craftsman demonstrated the design and that a local foundry adopted the technique; David quoted an historical advocate as saying, "Hey, they got something good going down there. We got to protect it."

David also described ongoing correspondence with a Michigan researcher based in the Upper Peninsula (affiliated with Michigan Tech) who is compiling a chapter on Bridgewater’s cannon-making history; the researcher provided a line drawing and requested additional local materials. The presenter said newspaper accounts and ceremonial uses of the local cannon (for fairground openings) were part of the documentary record he has supplied.

Commission members discussed adding a QR code to the proposed marker so visitors can access supplemental images and historical context. No formal vote to approve a marker or funding was taken at the meeting; commissioners said they would follow up at future meetings and that the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) process could be used for funding or application support.