Original Item: Only One Available. complete original and untouched after decades of storage, this rare early American (late 18th century) dovetailed gunpowder box measures approximately 10 inches square and retains the NEPONSET GUNPOWDER label identifying the container as emanating from the eastern Massachusetts Neponset River watershed area where the first American powder mill was established.
In line with the popular period practice of associating gunpowder with its Chinese origin, the labeling offers Chinese characters with the name HONGWA (a.k.a. Honcwa or Hongwu) for the Ming Dynasty era Chinese military leader whose name was widely used as an association with quality gunpowder.
The gunpowder mill was erected on the Milton side of the Neponset about 1675 and has been recorded in period records as being the first powder mill in the country. It was destroyed by explosion and fire in about 1774. Rebuilt and producing Neponset Gunpowder only a year later, the mill was again destroyed about 1779. The site was taken over by Paul Revere a year later when he established a copper rolling mill there.
This is an ultra rare gun powder box dating from the American Revolution, you wont see one of these again anytime soon!