Construction on the new blacksmith shop at the Fort King National Historic Landmark is making steady progress.
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.
Dinkins Construction, LLC was chosen by the City of Ocala to design and build the blacksmith shop at Fort King. Construction on the shop officially began in December of 2022.
In a social media post earlier this week, the City of Ocala shared several photos showing the construction progress as the new blacksmith shop takes shape.
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.