Blacksmith Shop

Blacksmith Shop. . A ringing anvil and glowing forge were signals that the blacksmith was working. The skill, stamina, and strength of the blacksmith played an important role in constructing machinery and maintaining the ironworkers' equipment. Using simple tools and muscle-powered bellows, a good “smith” could bend, weld, twist, and punch the tough wrought iron. Although steel was not made here at the ironworks, it was imported for the smith's use and valued for the hardness it provided to much-needed edged tools., Sources for iron tools and hardware were sometimes unreliable. Some early settlers that had learned their trades as cutlers or gunsmiths adapted their skills to meet the more general demands of their neighbors. To these and other blacksmiths, and their customers from the surrounding communities, a local source of iron was important. These skilled tradesmen fashioned a wide variety of utilitarian objects for family, farm and industry., Captions: , These 17th century iron artifacts were uncovered during the six years of excavation and reconstruction work. They are part of the large collection displayed in the museum., replica andiron , replica saw