A hot shot furnace is a freestanding, masonry oven that was used to heat solid cannonballs to such a temperature that, when fired into a wooden ship's hull, that ship would burst into unquenchable flames.

While these furnaces were a feature of every major American seacoast and strategic river fortification of the early-to-mid 19th century, and were common at similar forts in Europe, very few hot shot furnaces remain in place today.

The mission of Hotshotfurnace.com is to become the definitive source for the location and dissemination of the story of the noble hot shot furnace.

If you are aware of an existing hot shot furnance that is not represented on this site's List page, please help the cause by submitting it through our Contact page.