Homestead Heritage Forge

Outside view of the Homestead Heritage Forge

Step through the wide double doors of the Homestead Heritage Forge and find yourself among scenes your great grandparents were familiar with when they sought out the essential skills of their village blacksmith in communities across America. Blacksmithing was once so essential in supporting agrarian community life that no community could function properly without the local blacksmiths. These traditional services of their skills, handed down for centuries, fulfilled the provision of hand wrought-iron work and tools for homesteading farmers and craftsmen alike. These skills have all but disappeared from rural community life, but here at Homestead Heritage our craftsmen have proven that these self-sustaining skills are as valuable today as they ever were.

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. When the raw steel is hot enough, tiny white sparks leap from the semi molten iron 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 Homestead Heritage, you have the rare opportunity to watch our blacksmiths during their daily work in the well-equipped blacksmith shop with its fascinating variety of simple tools demonstrate the ancient basic skills of blacksmithing. Each day they use forge and bellows, hammer and anvil and many other tools to shape and form useful pieces of wrought iron for the home such as lamps, tables, beds and fireplace tool sets or for the kitchen decorative racks to hang utensils and pots from or for the yard and garden ornamental fence railings. You can spend a few minutes or linger to watch an item from start to finish. Many people, after visiting the Homestead Heritage Forge and watching the blacksmiths, enroll in blacksmithing classes. They have been encouraged that they too, can learn to forge items with the heat and pounding of the forge, hammer and anvil.

Cross eastward over the wooden bridge and stroll through the wooded path to the Homestead Heritage Deli and the other workshops in the Homestead Heritage Crafts Village or perhaps walk westward to visit the Homestead Heritage Farm or Heritage Gristmill to complete your visit.

Homestead Heritage Craftsmen are available for your custom iron work project. Please contact us at the number given below.

email us at: info@homesteadheritage.com

Homestead Heritage at Brazos de Dios is easily accessible, just 5 miles west of IH-35

(254) 754-9600

Homestead Heritage
P.O. Box 869
Elm Mott, Texas 76640