The Mount Vernon Blacksmith Shop

The Mount Vernon Blacksmith Shop opened in April of 2010 on the same site as George Washington's original shop on the North Lane, just 200 feet from the Mansion. Visitors to Mount Vernon can enjoy daily demonstrations by talented craftsmen in the reconstructed shop as they transform raw iron into decorative objects and tools.

The Blacksmith Shop was essential to the running of the plantation and vital to Washington’s business endeavors. Records indicate that as early as 1755 a blacksmith shop was located along the north lane, about 200 feet from the Mansion. Most of the smiths who worked for Washington were enslaved, except for a Dutch (or German) immigrant named Dominicus Gubner.

Many of the tasks performed here were relatively mundane: making nails and hooks, mending well-worn pots and pans, and crafting various farm tools. Washington also challenged blacksmiths to create a plow he had designed and to make intricate parts for pistols and rifles. In his rare spare time, the blacksmith did small jobs for Washington’s neighbors in order to increase the estate’s income. 

Today you can see blacksmithing demonstrations at Mount Vernon.