Blacksmith Shop

The first half of the 19th century is considered by historians to be the “golden age” of American blacksmithing due to the demand for metalwork in newly developing communities on the frontier. Blacksmithing existed within communities large and small in 19th century America. Although each blacksmith’s workshop, metalworking process, and expertise differed in some ways, they all possessed the general ability to fashion a variety of important items out of iron and steel. A Blacksmith would have been essential at Furnace Town in it’s heyday, they would have created and repaired almost all the tools and equipment use to run the Nassawango Iron Furnace. Furnace Town’s Blacksmith shop was donated by Elijah Stanton Adkins in 1980 and was moved to Furnace Town that year.

Blacksmiths living in the 1800s took on the roles of both tradesmen and businessmen to manage successful workshops and provide a variety of services. Townspeople and farmers alike valued the range of skills blacksmiths possessed and relied on them to create the tools and implements necessary for survival.

Today we have a blacksmith guild that uses the Blacksmith Shop at Furnace town, they help fix and make metal items we use here at Furnace Town, as well as making items we sell in our village store.