A non-profit in Lake Luzerne that is one of the few places to learn the centuries-old blacksmithing trade celebrated a long-awaited expansion Wednesday.
The Adirondack Folk School has been preserving traditional crafts since 2010. It’s steps away from the Hudson River and you can hear Stewart Brook running through the woods that surround the facility.
After years of COVID-related delays, the new $137,000 addition to its blacksmithing forge has added nearly 400 square feet to the school’s most in-demand space.
The building was also winterized – despite the heat from the forges, the cold Adirondack winters prevented year-round courses in the annexed building.
Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Mintzer says when AFS flourishes so does the regional economy.
“It starts with somebody chooses to come for a class. So, they paid for the class, and now they're going to stay overnight. And then those dollars fund through our whole community,” said Gina Mintzer.
Mintzer estimates classes at the school support more than 150 local jobs.
“Those are instructors. And then somebody who works in that hotel or motel where they're staying, or the retail or Stewarts, you know, where they've just bought gas and coffee, you know, before their class or after their class, or they've, you know, now here, they've gone to nettle meadow or to the Longhorn or somewhere else in the area, and maybe while they're here, oh my gosh, the rodeos Ian town this summer or so. All of that is funneled into that economic impact. And for them, it's tremendous, And the fact that they've had over 1,000 students in a year, just think, you know that there's, that's, you begin with that multiplier and, and some of those classes are three days you got it. You can't build a canoe in a day,” said Mintzer.
Students annually attend upwards of 300 classes ranging from stone carving to jewelry making and fiber arts.
But by far the most popular courses are in blacksmithing.
“How long have you been blacksmithing?”
“Oh, about 40 minutes now,” said Steve Gurzler.
Steve Gurzler has been teaching at AFS for 13 years, but he’s been practicing the craft for more than four decades.
“One of the things that’s funny is I get some youngsters in here who have done, like, Minecraft, who suddenly realize how much effort is involved in blacksmithing. Another funny thing that happens is you get people that come in and say, ‘can you shoe my horse?’ and I say, ‘sure I’ll shoe a horse.’ I usually do it by waving my apron at it,” said Gurzler.
Gurzler is demonstrating how to forge a gardening shovel. When he’s not pounding the glowing iron by hand or machine, he’s hand-cranking a fan to stoke a coal fire.
“Working with metal at 1,800 to 2,000 degrees and swinging a hammer makes you focus on what you’re doing and it helps you to shut out those petty annoyances of everyday life,” said Gurzler.
Jude Morrow has taken almost 50 courses at AFS over the past two years. He's wearing a number of forged items around his belt and even got his parents to install a forge at home.
“Bring your hammer straight down. Don’t push it in. I notice it on so many newcomers. Bring your hammer straight down, don’t try to brush your metal with your hammer. Actually hit it,” said Morrow.
His father Gabriel Morrow is a pastor in Burnt Hills. They’re getting ready to move to Nebraska in just a few days but made sure to make it to the ribbon cutting. He says they plan on bringing Jude's forge across the country with them.
“All the tools, the resources, the skills, the enthusiasm, and really just the relationships too. I know with all these things come real-life experiences of people that have been doing this their whole lives or they make a living at it. Whatever it is, but they also care about each other. They care about the people that are in their classes, and all those things create this kind of complete package of not just skills and knowledge, but also relationships too. And it really just turns into something we never could have imagined and so much better,” said Morrow.
The Adirondack Folk School is set to host its annual Summer Festival July 26th.
