Blacksmith Shop
Cartwright

Designation Date: October 16, 1989
Designation Authority: The Village of Cartwright
Present Owner: The Cartwright Roblin Historical Society Inc.

In the age of horse power in Manitoba, from the mid-1800s to about 1920, a whole support industry was required for the upkeep and maintenance of thousands of horses. One of the most important of these operations, and once one of the most common, was the blacksmith. At Cartwright, one of the last operating forges in Manitoba only fell silent in the early 1980s. A blacksmith had been working in this spot since 1888; this building was constructed around 1900. Now used as a museum, it houses much of the original hardware and equipment used by its last occupant, Calvin Hill. Like many other commercial buildings of the era, the shop is a simple gable-roofed structure that is fronted by what is called a "false front," or "boomtown" front. That feature, with its tall stepped profile, was common along Manitoba main streets, creating a more formal appearance, and offering the possibility for the placement of advertising signage at the top.