The Blacksmith Shop

The Blacksmith Shop (HMFVY)

Location: Orange, VA 22960 Orange County
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Country: United States of America
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N 38° 13.188', W 78° 10.098'

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Inscription

Discovering Madison

"And I desire my black Smith Moses, may belong to such of my children as he shall chose if they are willing to take him at a reasonable price."
- Will of James Madison, Sr., 1787

The Blacksmith shop, constructed by Madison's father in the 1760s, helped expand Motpelier's sources of income beyond the sale of tobacco. A slave named Moses supervised the shop and its African American workers. Over roaring furnaces, the men heated iron bars until they glowed red. Then, the softened metal was hammered and bent into practical things that rural Virginians needed: nails, horseshoes, hoes, and plows. Sales of these goods turned a handsome profit, and Moses' skill was recognized in the senior Madison's will. Though Madison dismantled the smithy to create a pastoral setting for his Temple, Moses remained at Montpelier until his death.
Details
HM NumberHMFVY
Tags
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Marker Number12
Placed ByMontpelier Foundation
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 at 8:04pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 747895 N 4233994
Decimal Degrees38.21980000, -78.16830000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 13.188', W 78° 10.098'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 13' 11.28" N, 78° 10' 5.88" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 5245 S Montpelier Rd, Orange VA 22960, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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