Restoring antique cannon a labor of love for Solsberry man

UNIQUE ANTIQUE: Tim Kirsch of Solsberry works in his shop restoring a unique antique -- a cannon from the Spanish-American War era. When completed, Kirsch's cannon will be one of only four cannons from this era in the United States that are in working order. With a range of three miles, the cannon weighs over a ton and has a seven-foot barrel.

SOLSBERRY -- Tim Kirsch was retired and on a trip in 1970, passing through New Alexandria, Pa., when he saw it -- a cannon from the Spanish-American War era, for sale.

"I just couldn't pass it up. I wasn't looking to buy a cannon, but when I saw it, I couldn't resist," said Kirsch.

Kirsch, who lives in the hills of eastern Greene about a mile from the Greene County Chapel, bought it for $50.

Nobody, not even Kirsch, expected him to buy a cannon. He's not even a gun collector, but he is a handyman. After his retirement, his hobby of building bird houses and bird feeders turned into a fulltime business he calls "Home Tweet Home."

His creations may be found in many gift stores around Greene County and beyond. Even now, he's not sure exactly why he was so attracted to an old cannon.

Since that day, countless man-hours have gone into the project of restoring the cannon with a three-mile range.

"The wheels, from an old hay wagon, were in terrible condition and the seven-foot barrel was blocked. We later found out a misfired cartridge was lodged at the halfway point of the barrel," said Kirsch.

For several years after Kirsch purchased the cannon, it was a decorative ornament. Then in 2002 when Kirsch was in South Carolina to help his brother build a house, he met a man who wanted to restore his cannon. His name was Joe Christ.

In the fall of 2003, the cannon was hauled to Christ's shop in South Carolina where Christ's machining knowledge and skills sparked Kirsch's own enthusiasm for the project.

Christ had an antique lathe and milling machine that he used to re-manufacture some of the parts. These machines were of the same vintage that had been used in the original manufacture of the cannon.

Kirsch determined that the tube, or barrel, of his cannon was forged at Watervliet Arsenal in New York in 1898. The carriage was forged at Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois in 1899.

Kirsch and Christ spent much time together working on the cannon and researching its history.

"We were able to research both Arsenals with great success, but we were unable to determine if the cannon actually saw action in the war," said Kirsch.

They found engineering prints on all of the cannon's components which allowed them to re-manufacture the breech block and the carrier ring.

"Joe worked over 1,000 hours machining the entire breech assembly, which is now a perfect replica, while my job was the disassembly of the carrier and cleaning of the barrel rifleing and the exterior," said Kirsch.

During those long hours of working together, Kirsch and Christ forged a friendship strengthened by their shared goal of restoring a piece of history.

"In July of 2007, Joe became ill and he passed away. I lost not only a good friend, but a man with vast knowledge and enthusiasm for whatever he was doing," said Kirsch.

In October 2007, Kirsch brought the cannon home to Indiana, a bittersweet trip because the cannon reminds him of Christ and all the care he had put into its restoration.

It wasn't long before Kirsch's enthusiasm for the project returned, and he started working on the cannon again.

Next, Kirsch had the carriage sandblasted and applied a rust preventative. He also contacted Raber Wheelworks in Montgomery to build a new set of wooden spoked "Archibald Wheels."

"Before Joe passed away, he had fabricated the boxing, or hubs, for the wheels and Raber did a perfect job getting them together," said Kirsch.

As the cannon project neared completion, more people became interested and Kirsch has been offered substantial amounts of money for his unique antique.

"Once it's completed, it will be one of only four cannons in the United States from that era that actually work," said Kirsch.

As far as Kirsch knows, the other comparable cannons that are operable are one in the Watervleit Museum, one in the Rock Island Arsenal and one that is privately owned in Michigan.

Several museums and famous battleground sites including some national park sites have expressed an interest in adding the cannon to their holdings.

"I don't want to sell it," said Kirsch.

When it's completed, Kirsch says he just hopes to sit back and enjoy looking at the restored cannon that was once just a dream for Kirsch and his friend, Joe.