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When Colonists were just beginning to settle — before 1776 — blacksmiths were forbidden to make anything.
Their sole purpose, according to the king of England, was to fix tools and things when they broke.
New items were to be shipped from England, and thereby making them outrageously expensive.
Blacksmiths began using their skills and imagination to create new tools and household items then quietly selling them to neighbors at a greatly reduced price. Therefore, the blacksmith was a very important member of each town.
The Heritage Festival will showcase the skills of blacksmithing this weekend.
Submitted photo
The Heritage Festival will showcase the skills of blacksmith Jonathan Chandler. After growing up on a farm and repairing tools and equipment, he began to think about how the blacksmith, traditionally, was capable of creating anything needed. Chandler wanted to learn the craft of blacksmithing and be self-reliant. Thus began his journey.
He is now on the board of directors for the Virginia School of Traditional Arts as well as offering classes in blacksmithing.
VSTA is a nonprofit group with a mission to “preserve the skills and artistry of the past by providing individuals of all ages the opportunity to experience first-hand traditional arts.”
Chandler is an accomplished artist, having created seven sculptures for The Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens in South Boston. He has other sculptures on display in North Carolina, Virginia and Ohio, as well as paintings in two online shows.
His artwork has been featured in two books. In addition, he taught agricultural education in Halifax County Public Schools for 21 years, before retiring in 2018.
Chandler will be demonstrating his blacksmithing skills on May 5-6. Attendees will be able to find him under the big old oak tree in the Heritage Village.
In the early days of mankind, people used rocks and stones to create their tools. The art and skill of shaping rocks to be used as tools is called knapping. This is a skill that Native Americans were particularly adept with, but they were not the only ones to be so skilled. Knapping can be used to manufacture stone tools, strikers for flintlock firearms, or to produce flat-faced stones for building or facing walls.
The Heritage Festival will showcase the skills of blacksmith Jonathan Chandler.
Submitted photo
Michael Hartje is a flint knapper. Hartje is also an accomplished outdoorsman. He is from North Carolina and will have many Native American artifacts on display. He will also be in the Heritage Village, near Tom Tucker with his teepee.
Gary Holmes, from Shangrila Guest Ranch, will also be joining the Heritage Festival. He has been inspired to have a guest ranch and participate in community outreach because he enjoys seeing the connection between horses and people. Shangrila Guest Ranch is located at 3219 Cluster Springs Road in South Boston.
Holmes will be providing free horse rides for children from 10 to noon on Saturday.
Bluegrass music originally came from the Appalachian region. It got its name from Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys; a band known for bluegrass music and made it popular in the 1940s. Chris Crews will share his Bluegrass music in the Heritage Village on the Grist Mill porch. He will perform on Saturday afternoon on the Grist Mill porch.
There will also be music throughout the day Saturday, performed by Cameron Crews on keyboard, in the Heritage Village Chapel.
Crews is in the 11th grade and is writing music for a Christmas production for the Brookneal Little Theater. He was also one of the young people that worked with Tucker, learning early woodworking skills and helped to build the Grist Mill.
Come watch these talented craftsmen work with metal, stone, music and horses.
There is something for everyone at the 19th Annual Heritage Festival.
