Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum facts for kids
The Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum is a special museum in Lacombe, Alberta. It's run by the Lacombe Museum, which is part of the Lacombe and District Historical Society. This blacksmith shop has been used continuously since 1902! Imagine, out of all the blacksmith shops that used to be in Lacombe, this is the only one left. Sometimes, people also call it the Glass Street Shop or Selvais Welding.
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A Look Back: The Shop's History
The Lacombe Blacksmith Shop first opened its doors in 1902. A blacksmith named A. F. Weddle started it. It was in a great spot, very close to downtown and facing Railway Street (which is now Highway 2A). Back in the early 1900s, this area, known as 49 Street or Glass Street, was busy! It had other blacksmith shops, places to keep horses, and even a coal seller nearby.
Weddle ran the shop for a short time. In 1903, he sold the business to two brothers, Alfred and Stanley Watson.
The Watson Brothers worked at the shop for four years. Then, in 1907, they sold it to another blacksmith, John McNab. McNab worked there by himself for a long time – nineteen years! In 1926, he teamed up with John Reeves. Just one year later, Reeves bought the shop and ran it until 1939.
In 1939, the Selvais family moved to Lacombe. Jules Selvais, who was a blacksmith from Belgium, first rented the shop. Later, he bought it from Reeves. The Selvais family owned the shop for 53 years, making them the longest owners!
In 1993, the Lacombe and District Historical Society bought the shop from the Selvais family. Their plan was to turn it into a museum about blacksmithing. Just one year later, in 1994, the shop opened to the public as the Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum!
Exploring the Old Building
The building itself is from 1902. It's a rectangular shape with a cool "faux facade" (a false front) facing 49 Street. Most of the building is original, including the walls and floors from when it was first built! It's made of a wooden frame covered in corrugated metal.
Today, there's one coal forge inside, located on the south wall. A forge is like a special oven where blacksmiths heat metal. Long ago, there might have been many forges along this wall, as you can still see holes where chimneys would have been. The north wall was kept clear. This was usually where blacksmiths would shoe horses.
In 1953, another part was added to the west side of the shop. This new section has been used as a welding shop ever since.
The Lacombe and District Historical Society has done a lot of work to restore the building. They started right after buying it in 1993. They brought the front of the building back to how it looked in 1902, adding sliding doors. They also fixed the foundation, walls, and the outside covering of the building. They even emptied the shop to dig up the floor and fix or replace the wooden supports underneath.
In 2019, all the wood on the outside of the building was restored. The original windows were fixed, and new storm windows were made to match them.
More restoration happened in 2021. The roof and siding (the outer covering of the walls) were repaired or replaced.
In 2021 and 2022, they worked inside the shop. They repaired the motor and drive shaft that power the two trip hammers. Trip hammers are big, powerful hammers used by blacksmiths to shape metal.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Lacombe Blacksmith Shop has been a museum since 1994. It shows everyone what blacksmithing was like. The museum is open every year from Victoria Day weekend until Labour Day weekend.
When you visit, you can meet interpreters. These are people who explain things and even give live blacksmithing demonstrations! They use the coal forge inside the shop to heat and shape metal. The inside of the shop has a work area with a sand floor. You'll see the forge, two trip hammers, a drill press, and many hand tools that blacksmiths used.
The museum has a huge collection of tools and items from early 20th-century blacksmithing on display. It's like stepping back in time!
During the summer, the Lacombe Museum also offers blacksmithing workshops. This means you can actually learn blacksmithing skills yourself in one of the oldest blacksmith shops in the province!
Online Tour and Exhibit
If you can't visit in person, don't worry! The Lacombe Museum has a virtual exhibit on its website. It tells you all about the history of the Blacksmith Shop Museum and even gives you a virtual tour of the building.
Special Recognitions
The original 1902 building has received some important recognitions. These "designations" mean that the building is officially recognized as a special historical place. The 1953 addition is not included in these designations.
On May 16, 2011, the Lacombe Blacksmith Shop was named a Provincial Historic Resource by the Province of Alberta. This means it's important to the history of the whole province!
Then, on September 26, 2015, the City of Lacombe officially named it a Municipal Heritage Resource. This means it's important to the history of the city.
The Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum is also an Alberta Museums Association Recognized Museum. It shares this honor with the Michener House Museum.
