The Blacksmith Shop

Because of his skills, the blacksmith was usually a well-respected member of the community. Most of the time he worked with iron and steel, making and repairing all sorts of tools, hardware, and everyday objects. He could repair or replace the metal parts of wagons, wagon wheels, and farm machinery.

A wagon builder was called a wainsright, and a wheel maker was called a wheelwright. Since much of his time was spent working on wagons, the blacksmith possessed many of the skills of these crafts. A common task for the smith was shrinking or tightening the iron tire on a wagon wheel. After a period of time of rolling under the weight of a load, iron tires would gradually stretch and increase in diameter, becoming so loose that it would separate from the wheel with jolting results.

The Blacksmith at Work Shoeing of saddle horses and draft animals was another important part of the blacksmith's work. A worker who did this exclusively was called a farrier. The farrier knew much about hoof, foot and leg anatomy and could treat the ailments and diseases of these parts. He also knew how to forge and fit both normal, special use, and corrective shoes for his animal clients. Horses, mules, and even oxen were sometimes shod by the smith. The blacksmith regularly worked with machines and mechanical devices and became quite inventive in solving mechanical problems. Some smiths held patents for improvements made on farm equipment and cotton ginning machinery. The townspeople depended upon them for repairing, sharpening, and maintaining most of the machinery and tools of the village.

Some people often wonder about the words smith and smithy. The smith is the person; the smithy is the building. The confusion comes from Longfellow's line, "Under the spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands." That's a blacksmith shop, there, under the tree. The smith is standing inside his smithy.

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Please send comments to Historic_Village@baylor.edu. Updated Aug. 23, 2001.