KELSEYVILLE >> On June 7 the Lake County Historical Society (LCHS) broke ground on Phase 2 of the long awaited Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum Blacksmith Shop. Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown, Ely Executive Director Greg Dills, Ely Executive Committee Member Bill Lane and LCHS President Voris Brumfield met early Wednesday to celebrate the start of the 2017 construction.
Blacksmithing is an ancient craft believed to have been started in 1,500 B.C. Over the centuries it has been used to make everything from weaponry and armor to early kitchen appliances and tools. It is the desire of the Lake County Historical Society (LCHS) to keep this art form alive and well at the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum for residents and visitors.
In 2015 the docents and volunteers built Phase 1 of the shop. Phase 2 of the project will add the South wing to display more of the LCHS’ artifacts. The center section, Phase 3, will house the repair facility where wagons, tractors, and other equipment will be staged for tear down and repair.
The entire building will be open for display and allow LCHS members to participate in the repair and restoration of Lake County’s artifacts. The building will be a living display with artisans fashioning items for the repair and upkeep of the collection, but also to fabricate items for the Ely gift shop, allowing visitors to acquire mementos of an era gone by.
The line-shaft machine shop will be powered by the Peerless 12 HP vertical hit-n-miss antique gas engine. Once restored, it will provide the power to run the overhead shafts and pulleys that are belted to the machinery below.
Since the opening of Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum in 2011, volunteers have presented many special events, science camps, history on the porch, monthly Fiddler’s Jam, weddings, and much more. LCHS and the Ely Volunteers have been diligently raising funds for the materials and supplies needed to begin Phase 2, but are short of the necessary funds to complete Phase 3 of the building.
