Hearthside - The House That Love Built

BLACKSMITH SHOP SERVES AS MOVIE SET

Lights….camera…….action! On July 29 th, the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop turned into a movie studio for the day for the filming of a history documentary. The film is about Dr. John Clarke, a close friend of Roger Williams, who founded the first Baptist Church in the New World, authored the Rhode Island Charter of 1663, and spent 35 years on Aquidneck Island welcoming others like him who were seeking a place to practice their religion free from persecution. The documentary was commissioned by the John Clarke Retirement and Nursing Center in Middletown, which is funded by the John Clarke Trust, the oldest educational trust fund in the United States.

Jeff Freschke of CumberlandIncluded as one of the actors in the scene was Jeff Freschke of Cumberland, and a resident blacksmith and instructor at the Hannaway Forge and Blacksmith Shop. For the movie, Jeff was outfitted in a custom-made colonial costume, complete with a red beard to match his hair. No rehearsing was needed for his role because it called for what he does best….firing up the forge and hammering hot metal into useful tools.

Filming took place in various parts of New England, and has now been completed. The film will be used for educational purposes to promote the legacy of Dr. John Clarke---a physician, scholar, minister, statesman, lawyer, and philanthropist---to the history of Rhode Island.

The film was produced by Diane St. Laurent and Toni-Ann Baker of Two Sisters’ ProductionsThe film was produced by Diane St. Laurent and Toni-Ann Baker of Two Sisters’ Productions, a progressive film and video production company located in Cranston, Rhode Island. It is anticipated that the documentary will be released to PBS and possibly the History Channel later this year.

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