Waldie Blacksmith Shop, courtesy of Milton Historical Society
The Milton Historical Society (MHS) has received a $7,500 grant from the Town of Milton Community Fund to help replace the aging furnace at the Waldie Blacksmith Shop.
It’s the only privately operated museum in urban Milton, and is currently heated by its original 23-year-old furnace, which the Society says could fail at any time. A breakdown would have forced a temporary shutdown of all operations until funds could be raised for a replacement. The new funding will allow the MHS to install a new furnace before that happens, helping protect both the building and the programs housed inside.
The Shop is home to several major initiatives, including the digitization of more than 350,000 historic documents and photographs, blacksmith education programs, a monthly speaker series, and the rental of the Carriage Room to local community groups. According to the Society, uninterrupted access to the space is essential to maintaining these activities.
“The Society’s Board of Directors are most thankful to the Town of Milton Community Fund Advisory Committee, Town Community Services staff and Milton Council for this vitally important grant,” says John Challinor II, president of the Milton Historical Society. “If not for this grant, we faced the prospect of a broken furnace shutting down our operations until we could raise the money ourselves to replace it.”
The new furnace is expected to be installed at the Waldie Blacksmith Shop in the near future.
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