Montpelier Station in Orange County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Blacksmith Shop
Discovering Madison
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 6, 2009
1. The Blacksmith Shop Marker
"And I desire my black Smith Moses, may belong to such of my children as he shall chose if they are willing to take him at a reasonable price."
- Will of James Madison, Sr., 1787
The Blacksmith shop, constructed by Madison's father in the 1760s, helped expand Motpelier's sources of income beyond the sale of tobacco. A slave named Moses supervised the shop and its African American workers. Over roaring furnaces, the men heated iron bars until they glowed red. Then, the softened metal was hammered and bent into practical things that rural Virginians needed: nails, horseshoes, hoes, and plows. Sales of these goods turned a handsome profit, and Moses' skill was recognized in the senior Madison's will. Though Madison dismantled the smithy to create a pastoral setting for his Temple, Moses remained at Montpelier until his death.
Erected by Montpelier Foundation. (Marker Number 12.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #04 James Madison series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1787.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby.
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in Northern Virginia and in the Piedmont. It was also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found 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 6 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Garden (about 600 feet away); Madison's Farm Complex (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Madison's Farm Complex (approx. Ό mile away); Mount Pleasant
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 6, 2009
2. The Blacksmith Shop Marker
With the "Temple" in the background.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Road (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Backyard (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Homes for Enslaved Families (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Quarters (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named The Garden (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Madison Farm Complex (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The African American Cemetery (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Slave Cemetery (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Mount Pleasant c. 1750s (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Madison Family Cemetery (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. On the right is a illustration courtesy of the collection of Dover Publications, captioned Denis Diderot's L'Encyclopedie, a notable work in Madison's library, illustrates an 18th-century blacksmith shop.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,027 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on April 22, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 1, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
