Keeping Alive the Traditional Skill of Blacksmithing
At the gateway to Chase Farm Park and the Great Road Heritage Campus sits the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop. This small barn is the original shop, begun in 1880. It was donated by the Hannaway family to the Town of Lincoln and moved to this site by the town of Lincoln in 1989, and the Friends of Hearthside restored blacksmithing operations in 2004. Today, the sounds of hammering on the anvil and odor of coal are experienced as Blacksmithing Classes take place in the original shop year-round. Visitors are welcome to watch classes in session, as well as during Campus Tour Days.
A selection of some of the items made by Hearthside’s blacksmith may be found at Hearthside’s Gift Shop when visiting the museum. Each item has a hand-crafted beauty that is slightly different and unique. These items are not simple “produced” but rather the blacksmith uses traditional blacksmithing techniques to transform the metal into the design he wants. Properly hot forged iron work will not fall apart, as mass-produced items do, so these items are designed to last for many generations to come.
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Step into history by seeing it firsthand and all it has to offer.
The sites are not open on a regular schedule but on the dates listed on our calendars. Updates to this website are made for openings at each of the four locations. Be sure to check out the Calendars for each before planning a visit.
Blacksmithing Classes
With a goal to ensure that the traditional skill of blacksmithing will carry on to future generations, an ongoing program of hand-forging classes is offered. Classes are designed for beginners with an interest in learning the fundamentals of hand forging or for those wishing to improve their skills and make a particular project. Classes are limited to just two students which provides students with one-on-one instruction. From the moment they walk in, students get right to work at the coal burning forge to bend and twist the hot medal into useful and decorative items of their own choice. All beginner students make a hook to learn the basics of hand forging and then may choose their own projects for future classes. This is not a series of classes to commit to, but rather offers flexibility to take additional classes if you wish to continue.
Classes are two-hours in length and are offered every weekend, year-round, on alternating Saturdays and every Sunday morning between the hours of 8am-2 pm. Dates are listed on the Hannaway Shop Calendar. To sign up for a class, email your requested date and class time to info@hearthsidehouse.org. Class time must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance through the Gift Shop portion of this website before the requested class slot is considered confirmed. Classes are geared to adults and teens, with a minimum age requirement of 11. Youth under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. A one-hour class is an option for younger students who may not have the stamina for the full two-hour class or who just wish to give hand forging a try.
