Blacksmithing

Keeping the Fire Alive

The Asbel Goodenough blacksmith shop from 1820 still stands in the Village of Peacham, Vermont.  What's more, it still works. At the July 4 and Fall Foliage festivals, it opens up and volunteers show how smithing is done.  An artist could spend a lifetime in it, painting its weathered wood and rust in the dusty light.  This time I opted for the bigger scene: the fire within the people who keep the craft alive.