Tour the Forge
Listen to the thump and whoosh as the blacksmith pumps the bellows to heat the fire in the forge. Watch as the fire blazes and sparks fly while the piece of raw steel in the fire turns bright glowing red then, becoming even hotter, turns white hot.
As the raw steel reaches temperature, sparks leap from the semi-molten metal and dance in the air above the fire. Then the blacksmith takes the white-hot steel quickly from the fire and lays it on the nearby anvil. You will hear the unique, musical, bell-like quality of the anvil as it rings to the hammer blows of the blacksmith as he shapes the hot iron into useful tools and decorative items.
At Heritage Forge, located in the Homestead Craft Village, you have the rare opportunity to watch our blacksmiths who, during their daily work in this well-equipped blacksmith shop and with its fascinating variety of simple tools, demonstrate the ancient skill of blacksmithing.
For more information on group tours, school group tours and self-guided tours, see the Homestead Craft Village website (currently under development as of July 2015).