2015 Louisiana Culture Awards
Education Award Nomination
Sam Guarino Blacksmith Shop Museum and Education Center
304 South State Street
Abbeville, Louisiana 70510
In 2004, the Sam Guarino family donated the Sam Guarino Blacksmith Shop (c.1912) its
dirt floor, interior tools and machinery to the City of Abbeville hoping to see the shop
preserved and used as a cultural attraction depicting the Blacksmith trade. This donation
required the building to be moved. The City accepted the challenge but the building was
not moved till 2006. The Main Street program and its volunteers began research to
convert this once thriving business into a museum.
The building is a contributing element in the Downtown Abbeville Commercial Historic
District, placed on the National Register of Historic places on November 7th, 1995. It is a
one story blacksmith shop with board and batten false front façade. It is said to have one
of the finest collections of original tools and equipment in the State.
The goals of the project is to give educational tours explaining how communities
depended heavily on the town blacksmith for tools, utensils, agricultural implements,
architectural hardware, vehicle parts and fittings and shoes for horses. Its secondary
purpose is to acknowledge the man, Sam Guarino, a young Sicilian immigrant, share his
personality, his love for his family, integrity and his love of community. His good times
and his philosophy to work from “can to can’t”. Inside the blacksmith shop this was
accomplished by creating text panels that tell the story of the family and the different
roles smithing has played in building Vermilion Parish.
The Blacksmith Shop Museum will be an added attraction to our existing historic district
and another component to our overall tourism plan. Preserving the building and telling
the story of blacksmithing and its role in our community will help maintain our own
authentic identity. Having the museum will educate people about our history along with
it being a good reuse of the building.
The Museum opened in 2009 and is currently open to the public by appointment only and
for our local festivals. The Blacksmith Shop Museum board of directors with the
financial assistance from the city and various grants enhanced the tour experience by
expanding the campus of the Blacksmith Shop to an adjacent city owned building. The
building housed the old Police Station and the front portion of the building has been
remolded into more exhibit space, a small theater to show a ten minute video on smithing
and Mr. Guarino’s life as blacksmith, and showcasing the Sicilian culture in Louisiana.
Our educational preservation efforts demonstrate the importance of the art of
blacksmithing to visitors and tourist alike.