A “Modern-Day-Colonial” Blacksmith
The phrase “modern-day blacksmith” is used to describe smiths that operate today, but in the case of Mount Vernon, we seem to have recently hired a “modern-day-colonial” blacksmith. The newest craftsman at Mount Vernon, Eric Zieg, grew up in Fairfax, Virginia and has been smithing for over twelve years in some of the finest shops in Virginia, as well as his own shop since 2001, where he makes everything from nuts, bolts and nails, to ornate railings, gates and spirals staircases. Eric now operates the newly opened, reconstructed blacksmith shop, bringing active blacksmithing to Mount Vernon for the first time in over a century. After years of research and archaeology, the shop was reconstructed on its original site, near the Mansion itself. The blacksmith was critical to the operation of a large plantation like Mount Vernon. Tools and plows required repair, and horses were also shoed at the shop. Through historical research, we know that Washington hired a Dutch immigrant, Domenicus Gubner, as blacksmith in 1770. Part of his duties were to train enslaved workers in the art of blacksmithing. After Gubner left Mount Vernon in 1773, two of his enslaved apprentices, Nat and George, worked as Washington’s blacksmiths for the remainder of his life
If you have seen Eric working at the new blacksmith shop, leave a comment and let us know what you think!
Tags: blacksmith, Eric Zieg
June 23rd, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Very detailed and knowlegble blacksmith
May 30th, 2011 at 4:48 am
wonderful points altogether, you just gained a new reader. What would you suggest about your post that you made a few days ago? Any positive?