Blacksmith Shop - Boothe Memorial Park - Stratford, CT
Posted by: 
chrissyml
N 41° 14.160 W 073° 06.660
18T E 658303 N 4566676
A historic blacksmith shop in a historic park.
Waymark Code: WM14MKY
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 07/27/2021
Views: 0
This blacksmith shop is on the grounds of Boothe Memorial Park in Stratford, CT. The park is on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the park’s website:
“
Boothe Memorial Park & Museum sits on an idyllic, 32 acre site in the north end of Stratford high above the Housatonic River. It was the estate of the Boothe family for many generations and willed to the town in 1949 for the public to enjoy.
The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are many architecturally unique buildings and attractions on the grounds as well as a new, handicapped accessible playground. The park is open and free of charge year round and is the home to various volunteer clubs and organizations. The Friends of Boothe Park is a non-profit organization whose volunteers maintain the museums, artifacts, genealogy library, and prize-winning rose gardens and conduct tours and school programs and Opening Day events. The annual Great Pumpkin Festival is a huge attraction in the fall, while outdoor concerts and Shakespearean plays beckon visitors in the spring and summer. Sites at the park are available to rent for group functions. Tours of the historic buildings are seasonal (May - October) and guided tours for school groups can be arranged.”
Source: (
visit link)
The blacksmith shop is painted red. A plaque on a rock nearby says:
“Blacksmith Shop
Circa 1935
In competition with Henry Ford’s blacksmith shop which had 4 walls and 4 corners, David Boothe designed this blacksmith shop which has 44 walls and 44 corners. He offered. $5.00 to anyone who found something missing and he never had to pay up. It houses blacksmithing tools.”
The shop is used a few times each year for historic demonstrations.