Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop

Shortly after the subdivision of the Benville Townsite in 1916, a number of commercial buildings began to appear. One of the first was the blacksmith shop. It was constructed and first operated by Dave Bozarth, who lived in the back with his family until 1920. The Bozarths took in a young Swedish boarder named Nels Johnson, who had earlier undertaken blacksmithing in Edson. Johnson became his chief blacksmith. In 1927, Bozarth sold his blacksmith shop to Johnson, who would continue to operate it until 1974, when it was purchased by Danny Shannon. Danny retained this structure and its equipment intact until 1986, when it was acquired by the Town of Sexsmith. By this time, its restoration had taken place under the auspices of the Sexsmith Museum Society, which continues to maintain and interpret it. The Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop is the oldest building in the community and was designated a provincial historic site in the early 1980’s.