Blacksmith Shop

The blacksmith shop contains a forge, bellows, anvil and vise, along with tongs and other tools. Blacksmiths create and repair objects made of iron and steel, such as horseshoes, tools and wagon parts. As part of the forging process, metal is heated until it glows red or orange, making it malleable for hammering, bending, cutting and shaping with hand tools. During heating, a layer of oxides forms on the surface of iron creating a black appearance. “Smith” comes from “smite,” which means to hit. Together they give us the word “blacksmith.”

Not all historic farms featured blacksmith shops, because the owner would need to find an experienced blacksmith. For that reason, the Mt. Pleasant blacksmith shop likely served not only this property but likely several other neighboring farms.