Hearthside - The House That Love Built

N.E. BLACKSMITHS GATHER FOR WEEKEND MEET JUNE 2-3, 2007

The Friends of Hearthside welcomes some 80 or so blacksmiths for the Annual Spring Meet of the New England Blacksmiths Association being held on the first weekend in June on the grounds of Chase Farm Park and the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop

Demonstrations by master blacksmiths will be taking place on Saturday, June 2nd from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and on Sunday, June 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to noon. While the event focuses on teaching new techniques for the artisans themselves, the public is invited at no charge to attend and watch the blacksmiths demonstrate their craft while teaching young students. Hot iron will be formed into intricate shapes to make decorative hardware, hinges, and old-fashioned tools. For those who just might get inspired to try their own hand at banging some steel, there will be registration available for hand forging classes at the Hannaway Shop, which are held on Saturday mornings.

For the serious metalworker, a feature presentation and lecture, “Timeless Beauty in Colonial Iron” by master smith, Lucian Avery, will take place on Saturday. Admission for this and other special presentations designed for members of the New England Blacksmiths is $30 for the day, or $50 for nonmembers.

Next door at Hearthside, an Open House will be held during this event on Sunday, June 3rd with extended hours to allow visitors to attend both the blacksmithing demonstrations as well as take a tour of Hearthside. The Open House will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is free of charge, however donations are strongly encouraged to support the continued preservation efforts at the historic site.

Throughout history, a blacksmith would perform “necessary art” by forming hot iron with a hammer and anvil through a process called forging. Often people think of blacksmiths as only making horseshoes, but mostly they crafted tools and hardware that would be used in the home or on the farm. Today, with a growing desire to have individuality and character in our every day lives and the articles we own, the demand for unique handcrafted items is increasing, especially those produced by blacksmiths, which is helping to keep this craft from becoming extinct. Modern day forging includes wrought iron, door hardware and latches, racks, fireplace tools, candelabras, chandeliers, and sculpture.

The New England Blacksmiths are affiliates of the Artists-Blacksmith' s Association of North America, and is devoted to the preservation and advancement of blacksmithing. 

The Hannaway Blacksmith Shop, owned by the Town of Lincoln since 1985, was revived by the Friends of Hearthside in 2004 with an ongoing weekly program of demonstrations and classes in hand forging as a means of preserving another component of Great Road’s history in addition to an important heritage craft. For more information or to sign up for the Saturday morning hand forging classes, please contact John Scanlon at 401-724-1522.

Return to top