Young woman unusual in her field Blacksmith will hone skills at college
Westmoreland County girl taking interest in blacksmithing to college in Charleston
Date published: 2/14/2008
By Rob Hedelt
WHEN MOST conjure up the image of a village blacksmith, he's a swarthy, stocky sort with arms the size of artillery shells and a face tinged from charcoal and wood smoke.
Westmoreland County's Aislinn Lewis, who spends three days a week pounding metal on a historic forge at Heathsville in the Northern Neck, doesn't exactly fit that bill.
The freckle-faced, strawberry blond 20-year-old is a tall, slender artisan.
But don't be fooled by the appearance of this young woman, introduced to smithing at George Washington's Birthplace, just a short hop from the small farmlet on the outskirts of Stratford Harbour she calls home.
A year of pounding metal stock as a member of the Heathsville Forge Blacksmith Guild--part of the Rice's Hotel/Hughlett's Tavern complex behind the Northumberland County Courthouse--has built up the muscles in Lewis' arms, shoulders and wrists.
She said the healthy dose of fatigue that comes from working at the forge is one of the things she likes about blacksmithing.
"That and the feeling of accomplishment you get at the end of the day, seeing what you've made," said Lewis, who has turned out a number of large commissioned items at the Heathsville facility, a brick and bellows re-creation of a Colonial-era forge.
The forge is open to the public Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
These days, the 60 or so members of the guild--about 15 are active--are excited about more than just Lewis' latest creation.
They're abuzz about the fact that one of their own is going off to study the craft at the American College of the Building Arts, a four-year college in Charleston, S.C.
There, students can study old-master skills from ornamental ironwork to plastering and architectural stone.
"We tease her a lot, but all of us are proud of what she's learned and where she's headed," said Buzz Burhenn, a regular at the forge.
Lewis credits her blacksmithing talents to artistic inclination, an interest in history and a love of the outdoors and physical pursuits. But she said there was not one magical moment that made her decide to be a blacksmith.
Date published: 2/14/2008
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