On the grounds of the Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock, a period-correct and fully functioning shop from early nineteenth-century Arkansas was built to educate visitors about the important craft of blacksmithing. Design of the structure required careful research so that it revealed a vernacular flavor. It was important that the structure appear as if the blacksmith himself designed and built his own shop, as he would have in the early nineteenth-century, not the architect. Individual artisans and craftsmen were consulted during the design process to assist with the planning, including numerous blacksmiths, timber framers, and masons. Those artisans were also employed during the construction of the shop so that authentic nineteenth-century tools and methods were used to create the building. A brick forge, complete with handcrafted leather bellows and an iron tuyere, is the centerpiece of the building. The blacksmith shop attracts many visitors to the museum, and is a particular hit with children.
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