Annual Hammer-In Festival returns to Greene County this weekend
Courtesy of Carly V. McCoy
Wayne Kelley creates a banana holder for the 2021 Virtual Hammer-In at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop.
Colleen Nelson/For the Observer-Reporter
Assistant Maintenance and Metal Arts coordinator Paige Henry takes a break from working on the overhead crane to show some of the art that will be made during the Rivers of Steel Arts aluminum pour on Saturday at the Hammer-In Festival in Rices Landing.
Courtesy of Carly V. McCoy
Barry Hixson demonstrates blacksmithing techniques at the 2019 Hammer-In Festival at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop in Rices Landing.
Courtesy of Carly V. McCoy
Steve Neiderritter demonstrates how the machines work during a tour of the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop in Rices Landing at the 2019 Hammer-In Festival.
Courtesy of Richard Kelly Photography
The Hammer-In Festival will be held Saturday at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop in Rices Landing. Guests will be able to tour the shop and watch demonstrations between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Courtesy of Richard Kelly Photography
W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop in Rices Landing is the only surviving and functional example of the nation’s 10th century evolution from local blacksmith shops to mass production machining facilities. The foundry is home to this Saturday’s Hammer-In Festival, a free event that runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Those attending the annual Hammer-In Festival in Rices Landing this Saturday should be in for a pleasant surprise.
A five-phase, 10-year, $1.5 million process to restore the exterior of the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop has been completed. Recognized by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark in 2016, the building now has an eye-catching exterior that includes the restoration of close to 70 windows and cross sashes. It has also been painted with its original barn red color.
According to long-time caretaker George “Bly” Blystone, the restoration used seven types of siding because the original building was constructed in phases. The new siding required specialty milling, and the windows were sent to Pittsburgh, 10 at a time, to be restored.
The restoration also included the painting the window sills and signage on three sides of the building white.
“The building is now beautiful, and the wind doesn’t blow through the cracks anymore,” Blystone said.
According to Carly McCoy, director of communications for Rivers of Steel, which took over ownership of the building from the Greene County Historical Society in 2009, the shop is a marvel by its mere existence. It is the only surviving and functional example of the nation’s twentieth century evolution from local blacksmith shops to mass production machining facilities.
And guests at Saturday’s Hammer-In Festival, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will get to take a step back into the past to see exactly how blacksmithing used to be done, with demonstrations throughout the day.
This year’s participating blacksmiths include 92-year-old Boyd Holtan, who hammers every day, Tim Shiffbauer and Matt Shorb of the Appalachian Blacksmiths Association, and Ed Appleby and Tom Rohosky of the Pittsburgh Area Artists Blacksmiths Association
All day long, visitors will also be able to see the vintage machinery in operation under Blystone’s supervision.
“Currently, we have close to 75 machines running which includes three or four which were recently restored,” he said. “We also planned to get the upstairs machinery running with new belts, but were unable to do so due to the cost. The belt replacement effort is still on the books, however, so we hope to eventually get it done.”
Starting at 1 p.m., organizers will stage a public auction of blacksmith items. This will be followed by an aluminum pour courtesy of Rivers of Steel. During the event, visitors can scratch the shape of an item of their choice into a sand mold.
After the molten metal is poured and allowed to cool, visitors can take home their hand-carved item.
A rededication ceremony for the building will be held at noon.
According to McCoy, throughout the years, Rivers of Steel has addressed the maintenance of the interior of the shop, replacing floorboards as needed. Work on the machines is ongoing to ensure that those that work remain in good operating order and to bring others back online. Maintenance also includes the repair of the belts for the line shaft system.
“Rivers of Steel is excited to help present the 2022 Hammer-In Festival,” McCoy said. “In addition to a host of blacksmithing demonstrations from the talented members of the Appalachian Blacksmiths Association and the Pittsburgh Area Artists Blacksmiths Association, this year’s event is exceptional. Not only does it represent the return of the festival after a two-year hiatus, we are also celebrating the completion of a decade-long, $1.5 million restoration project.”
Admission to the foundry, located at 114 Water St., Rices Landing, is free, and refreshments will be available for purchase.
“The ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon will reflect on the contributions of many in our community to save this National Historic Landmark – efforts that extend beyond the recent conservation work and honor the stewardship of this treasure during the last 40 years.”
For more information about the Hammer-In Festival, visit riversofsteel.com.