Construction is officially underway on the Fort King National Historic Landmark’s blacksmith shop.
The Fort King National Historic Landmark, which is located at 3925 E Fort King Street in Ocala, is jointly owned by the City of Ocala and Marion County, and the site was designated as a National Historic Landmark on February 24, 2004.
After the successful reconstruction of Fort King in 2017, the Fort King Heritage Foundation began planning the reconstruction of an 1837 period blacksmith shop. In 2021, the archeology research needed to reconstruct the shop was funded by the foundation in the amount of $42,750.
On October 1, 2021, the City of Ocala solicited bids from contractors for the design and build of the shop at Fort King, and Dinkins Construction, LLC was ultimately chosen for the project.
As Dinkins Construction’s crew members begin to build the blacksmith shop, all visitors will be required to stay outside of the orange fencing at the construction site.
Once construction is completed, the blacksmith shop will serve to educate and demonstrate the history of blacksmithing and the importance it played in the history of Fort King.
For more information, visit the Fort King National Historic Landmark’s website or Facebook page.