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SPRINGFIELD ARMORY FRONT GATE LOCK – ca. 1927 -
1935 –GUARANTEED ORIGINAL WITH PROVENANCE – VERY
HISTORICAL ONE-OF-A-KIND ARMORY ARTIFACT: One
of very few historic pieces that survived the closing of
the National Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, this
large brass padlock that once secured the front gate of
the facility was obtained from the Armory’s locksmith as
the facility was being closed.
When the US Army closed the armory and the property was
transferred to the city of Springfield, the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts and the National Park Service, none of
those entities expressed any interest in preserving the
material culture of the armory, and the bulk of the
patterns, gauges, and tools were perfunctorily consigned
to a scrap heap destined for destruction without any
consideration of their historical significance. This
episode was nothing less than a “perfect storm”,
occurring during an era of our nation’s history when the
military was regarded with distain, and in a location
situated in the epicenter of one of our country’s
greatest concentrations of anti-gun sentiment. Little,
if any, thought was given to preserving intact the most
significant keystone in the history of America’s firearm
production, and the cavalier manner in which these
artifacts were treated leaves little doubt about the
attitude held by the people involved towards firearms
and our military history. This shortsightedness
represented a genuine loss to the community of scholars
and collectors, and was nothing short of a crying shame,
but it was done nonetheless.
Fortunately, a very few pieces survived due to the
awareness of the last Captain of Ordnance stationed at
the Springfield Armory, R. Stephen Dorsey. Obtained
directly from his collection, this brass padlock was
presented to then Captain Dorsey as a parting gift from
the Armory’s locksmith. One of Dorsey’s additional
duties at the armory was serving as the Officer’s Club
Officer, and as was often the case on army posts of the
day, the club was staffed by personnel from the Armory
who would work the club positions as a second job. In
this case, the locksmith also worked as one of the
club’s bartenders during his off duty hours. Over time,
Dorsey and the locksmith became friends and when the
locksmith learned of Dorsey’s interest in the history of
the Armory, the two would tour the nooks and crannies of
the installation. With the Armory slated for closure,
before Dorsey transferred to his next assignment the
locksmith presented him with this lock as a parting
gift, identifying the lock as one that was used to
secure the front gate of the Armory.
Measuring 4”
high and 3” wide, this heavy brass “switch” lock
features a swinging keyway gate and the hasp is marked
“WILSON BOHANNON CO. / MARION, OHIO, USA. The Wilson
Bohannon Lock Company was established in New York City
in the 1860’s where it remained until moving to Marion,
Ohio in 1927. By the late 1930’s, this style of lock
mechanism had been replaced by the “pin tumbler”
mechanism. These two dates provide a means for dating
the period in which this lock was used to secure the
Armory. The brass has a wonderful old mellow patina
and the lock is fully functional with a crisp mechanism,
having the added value of retaining the original,
correct key to open the lock. The lock also retains the
steel chain that attached it to the gate to prevent
loss. Most importantly, this lock is accompanied by a
letter of provenance written by Mr. Dorsey on
Springfield Armory letterhead detailing his acquisition
of the lock, as well as a photograph of the lock which
have been signed by Mr. Dorsey in order to firmly
establish the link between his letter and this
particular lock.
This is a rare
offering of a unique piece of Springfield Armory
history, and one that will be a crown jewel in any
collection of Springfield arms. The importance of
this lock transcends the association with any particular
era of the National Armory’s history and it will be
appropriate displayed with Springfield arms from any
period.
SOLD
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