Schmidt Blacksmith Shop (1768)
Archaeological Site
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A blacksmith shop and house were built here on Lot 47 in 1768. Though other houses built in Salem at this time were half-timbered structures, this one was built of logs, which were eventually covered with clapboards. The house as one-and-a-half stories tall with a central chimney.
George Schmidt (1719-1791) was born in Germany and lived in the Moravian Pennsylvania settlements before moving to Wachovia in 1754. He established Bethabara's first blacksmith shop in 1755. In 1771, he and his family moved to Salem, where he operated the blacksmith's shop until 1788. That year, in failing health, Schmidt sold the shop and house to Samuel Schultz and, as a widower, moved to the Single Brother's House. Schultz continued the blacksmith's shop here until the 1820s. By the 1870s, the building was being used as a grocery store and flower shop.
Today, Old Salem interpreters continue to practice the art of smithing at the forge located in the Timothy Vogler Gunsmith Shop.
Erected by Old Salem Museums & Gardens.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1768.
Location. 36° 5.417′ N, 80°
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Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and specifically in Piedmont Triad. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Salem Concert Hall (a few steps from this marker); Pottery Kilns on Lot 38 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Mickey Coffee Pot (within shouting distance of this marker); The Plank Road Comes to Salem (within shouting distance of this marker); Salem Moravian Graveyard (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Builders' House (about 400 feet away); Builders House Lighting Project (about 400 feet away); Second House Site (1767) (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winston-Salem.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 589 times since then and 102 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 5, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 2, 3. submitted on April 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on May 5, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.
