The art of blacksmithing played a crucial role in the daily life of old Salisbury. Over the years, there have been five known forges and one tinsmith, a related trade that also involved working with hammers and metals. 1850 Salisbury Census, Occupations: Blacksmiths & Wheelwrights.
South Road Village
Andrew Pettengill was the first blacksmith in town. Abt 1765-1777
Location: Just west of what was once the TD Little House at 24 Franklin Rd, he succumbed to injuries sustained during the American Revolution in 1777..
Flanders Tin Shop, dating back to approximately the mid-1800s.
Location: Just north of the crossroads (Rte 127 & Rte 4).
Unlike blacksmiths, who primarily work with hot metals, tinsmiths mainly work with cold metal, though they occasionally use a hearth to heat and shape their materials. They create items like water pitchers, forks, spoons, lanterns, and candle holders.
Sherm Fellows, Approximately from 1890 to 1946.
Sherm Fellows Blacksmith Shop was originally the site of a Methodist Church, which stood there briefly around 1858. It was later replaced by the blacksmith shop, which remained on the east corner of Bog Road and Route 127 for many years before being removed shortly after 1946. In 1890, John Dearborn mentions the shop in existence.
1884 Pliny Fellows listed as owner
1925 Sherm listed as owner
1946 Sherm sold
1946 Building was removed.
Location: South Road (Rte 127)and Bog Road. An earlier brief site of the Methodist Church. Replaced by the Blacksmith Shop.
Salisbury Heights
George Calef, abt 1883-1911, Blacksmith, Carriage and Clock Shop
Location: Just south of the Abel Elkins House, opposite the Salisbury Historical Society on Route 4, lived a man who was a blacksmith, wheelwright, clock collector, and clock repair tradesman. Mrs. Arthur Lively Shaeffer recalls visiting his blacksmith shop as a young girl and seeing his impressive collection of clocks, which he also repaired.
A wheelwright is a craftsman specializing in building or repairing wooden wheels. The term combines “wheel” and “wright,” derived from the Old English word “wryhta,” meaning a worker or shaper of wood. Today, “wheelwright” typically refers to someone who crafts and repairs wheels for horse-drawn vehicles.
Wheel makers created wheels for carts, traps, wagons, coaches, and belt drives for steam-powered machinery. They also built wheels and frames for spinning wheels used at home. Wagon wheels were often rimmed with iron.
Mill Village/West Salisbury
Bay Road in West Salisbury, located riverside just east of the intersection where West Salisbury Road meets Bay Road.
Another blacksmith shop is marked on a map in “Salisbury Lost and Historic Homes” by Paul Shaw, though the date is unclear. It is located on Mill Road, West Salisbury, next to 543 W Salisbury Road.
Smith’s Corner area near Couchtown Road.
We are thankful to John Bentley for his recent donation of two hand-forged tools to the Salisbury Historical Society, crafted by a member or members of the Couch family.
John Couch and his son Samuel Couch, both from Salisbury, were blacksmiths, and likely, other family members were as well.
Location: The exact location of their shop is uncertain, but several members of the Couch family lived on the Salisbury side of the border and just across the line in Boscawen, along what is now called Couchtown Road. An old map indicates two Couch residences (H.C. Couch and F. Couch) side by side on the north side of Couchtown Road, just before the border with Boscawen. The Smith Corner area was once fairly populated, but the creation of the Blackwater Dam flood plain led to the disbanding of the community.
In the History of Salisbury by John Dearborn, 1890;
“John (Deacon) Couch was born May 7, 1780. He built the house occupied (1883) by Clarence Couch. By trade, he was a blacksmith and a skillful edge tool worker”. He resided in Salisbury until 1862.
P 534 ” Samuel built a house east of Deacon John’s, succeeded his father at the blacksmith, and followed the trade for some years, and followed in his father’s footsteps. He secured the services of a criminal who was pardoned out of the state prison, who taught Mr. Couch how to properly weld steel and iron and temper the same, and the Couch axe was much sought after, being considered the best axe made”.
We are looking forward to gathering more research on the Couch family.