Two Blacksmiths are Living at my House

06 Jul Two Blacksmiths are Living at my House

The following is a post by local blogger, Tipper Wilson Pressley. Visit Tipper’s blog, Blind Pig & the Acorn about all things Appalachia.

Two Blacksmiths have moved into my house this week-well actually they already lived here-I guess I should say 2 of the Blind Pig family have become Blacksmiths this week.

During Little Middle at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Chitter and Chatter have been taking the Blacksmith class. Yesterday I sneaked in to see how it was going.

If it’s been a while since you’ve been to the Folk School-you might be surprised to see their new Blacksmith Shop. See the 2 circular column type things-those were silos from back in the day when the JCCFS had cows. I’m glad they kept them-incorporating them into the design.

Don’t worry-if you loved the old shop as much as I do-it’s still there-they just connected  the old to the new.

Notice the floor in the old shop-I like imagining all the feet that have walked it over the years.

As I walked quietly through the doors to the new shop-no one noticed me-and I could see the kids hard at work.

It didn’t take me long to spot Chitter and Chatter-it’s not like they stood out in their matching get ups.

I caught Chitter hammering on something-while

Chatter was heating something up.

The class had some amazing teachers-like Mary Grace,

Able Allen-a Brasstown feller, and

Mr. Rooney Floyd who hails from way down in South Carolina and happens to be a Blind Pig reader. Rooney has been teaching the Blacksmith Class during Little Middle for almost 25 years. In fact, during those years he taught Able and Mary Grace-you can tell what a good job he does since now they’re teachers themselves.

As I watched Chitter, Chatter, and the rest of the kids work-I was totally impressed. Each one was right in there-showing no fear of the heat-just pounding out their creations like pros.

Every afternoon when I picked the girls up there was a new blister or burn-each one a badge of a Blacksmith in training.

Yep it’s been pretty cool having 2 Blacksmiths around this week. Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Tipper