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Monument: Captured German WWI Cannon. (Dayton, Virginia)

USA / Virginia / Dayton / Dayton, Virginia
 military, interesting place
(Note: photo shows one of similar type.)

One of only around a dozen First World War German cannons of its type (possibly 15cm Kanone) which were, after capture, sent to the US for use as municipal monuments ---according to local lore. The story goes that Dayton, Virginia, had no especially good reason to be selected for getting a cannon monument, except that the town authorities were among the first to apply.

The presence of a semi-ruined concrete choir stage in the large lawn near the creek, along with the presence of the monument, led to speculation that a civic park was once present from the cannon-corner to the creek. However, at some later point a gas station appeared ---and surrounded the back and sides of the monument with its own paved parking lot.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   38°24'57"N   78°56'15"W

Comments

  • Sherry (guest)
    Dayton received this gun because it was the smallest town to send a full military unit to World War I--an Army band.
This article was last modified 15 years ago