Philip Simmons Artist Blacksmith Guild

Philip Simmons Artist Blacksmith Guild is an artisan guild in North Charleston, SC. The organization maintains a mailing address at 4605 Durant Ave. It serves blacksmiths and the general public through educational programs and community events. The guild holds 501(c)(3) non-profit status. It was founded in 1994 in SC with approximately 30 charter members. Originally known as the SC Artist Blacksmith Association, the group changed its name in 1998 to honor Philip Simmons, the Charleston Blacksmith, who mentored the organization while he was alive. The guild now has around 200 members located in SC and a few members from surrounding states. It operates exclusively for educational purposes to encourage and facilitate the training of blacksmiths, expose the blacksmith craft to the general public, and serve as a center of information about blacksmithing.

The guild hosts six regular meetings annually on Saturdays starting at 10:00 am. Meetings are held at Roger and Gail Marcengill’s in Westminster, at 222 Broad St in Camden, and at the Lexington County Museum in Lexington. Each meeting begins with a two-hour demonstration followed by lunch at noon. Hosts provide main entrées and condiments while members bring side dishes. After lunch, the group holds a short business meeting and announcements. The events include an Iron-in-the-Hat Raffle comprised of donated items from guild members. Funds raised from the raffle support scholarship programs. The organization also conducts classes for beginner and experienced blacksmiths, taught by guild members or well-known blacksmiths from outside the guild. Formal classes vary in length from one day to three days. The guild also publishes six newsletters per year. The newsletters contain guild news, information about upcoming events, how-to articles, and for sale items from members. They are mailed to members and posted on the website.

Annual membership dues are twenty dollars per year. Applications for new members are available. The treasurer and secretary, Ben Secrist, handles membership inquiries and dues at a PO Box in Saint George. The guild maintains a schedule of events that includes hammer-ins and classes to foster a community dedicated to the preservation of the blacksmithing craft.

Philip Simmons Artist Blacksmith Guild preserves the blacksmithing tradition in North Charleston through its educational programs and active membership community.

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