Blacksmith Shop (St. Augustine, Florida) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Blacksmith Shop
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Old Blacksmith Shop
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 Location in Florida
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| Location | 16 Charlotte St St. Augustine, Florida |
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| Built | 1967 |
| Architectural style | British Colonial |
| Part of | St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District (ID70000847) |
The Old Blacksmith Shop is a special building located at 26 Charlotte Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It's not the original building, but a careful copy built to look just like an old workshop from when the British ruled Florida.
Contents
What is a Blacksmith Shop?
A blacksmith shop was a very important place long ago. A blacksmith is a skilled person who works with metal. They heat metal until it's super hot and then shape it using tools like hammers and an anvil. Blacksmiths made all sorts of things. They created tools, weapons, and even decorative items. They also made things for horses, like horseshoes.
A Look Back in Time
The first known record of a blacksmith shop on this spot is from 1771. This was during the time when the British controlled St. Augustine. There were several small buildings like it back then. In 1782, the land was sold to a man named David Morran. He rented one of the buildings to a blacksmith.
After the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Florida was given back to Spain. David Morran went back to England. His wife tried to sell their properties in St. Augustine, but it was difficult. Eventually, others helped sell the land to Spanish buyers.
Rebuilding History: The Preservation Board
The Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board started rebuilding the Blacksmith Shop in late 1967. They finished the work in 1968. The house that was on the site before, called the Judson Property, was taken down in 1967.
Building Like the Old Days
The Preservation Board wanted the new shop to be as real as possible. Their own construction team built the 12 by 16-foot wooden building. They used pine logs that were cut with old tools. These tools included a broad axe and an adze. This was how buildings were made hundreds of years ago! The shop had a dirt floor. It also had no windows and no insulation.
A Working Shop for Visitors
In the 1970s, the Blacksmith Shop was a real working place. It was part of a living history area called San Agustín Antiguo. The board wanted visitors to see what an 18th-century shop was like. They put in a special "double forge." A forge is where the metal is heated.
Visitors could watch a blacksmith at work. This blacksmith was a descendant of early settlers from Minorca. He made horseshoes for horses. He also created fancy ironwork for other historic buildings.
The Blacksmith Shop Today
Today, the historic Blacksmith Shop has a new purpose. It is now a coffee shop called Crucial Coffee Café. The University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc. manages it for the state of Florida.
