Entry No. 6 — the Philadelphia file — filed under: blacksmithing
Newlin Grist Mill — Blacksmithing Classes
A water-powered grist mill built in 1704 and worked commercially until 1941 runs beginner blacksmithing out of a smithy on-site, with sessions capped at just four students so instructors Bo Palmatary and Andy Williams can actually watch every hammer stroke.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but while thousands of commuters tear down US Route 1 past Glen Mills every day, few realize they're flying past a water-powered grist mill built in 1704. It ground grain commercially all the way until 1941, outlasting two centuries of industrialization before quietly shifting into preservation. But the real draw tucked behind its historic stone walls isn't watching the water wheel turn—it's stepping up to an active forge and hitting glowing iron yourself.
Inside the site’s working smithy, instructors Bo Palmatary and Andy Williams run beginner blacksmithing workshops capped at just four students per session. That four-person limit isn't courtesy; it means there is nowhere to hide when your hammer strikes at the wrong angle or your iron loses its heat. Over six focused hours, you learn hammer control, metal tapering, and forge safety while an expert stands close enough to catch every single stroke.
It is an unhurried, soot-stained slice of living history that trades glossy exhibit cases for ringing anvils and radiant coal heat. Once your six hours of hammering raw stock into shape are done, you can walk off the forearm burn across the property's wooded acres and National Register historic structures along Chester Creek.
What it's like
Pulling in off South Cheyney Road, you'll immediately trade suburban strip malls for damp woods, coal smoke, and the heavy ringing of metal. The forge is loud, hot, and intensely hands-on—leave synthetic jackets that melt at the first spark at home and wear natural fibers you don't mind getting dirty. The tiny class cap keeps the vibe focused and direct, and once class wraps, you can wander the quiet trail network along the creek.
The move: Book the 6-hour Beginning Blacksmithing I class (10am–4pm, $250, materials included, 18+): learn hammer control, tapering and forge safety side by side, then walk the mill's 150 wooded acres and its National Register buildings afterward.
- 📍 Glen Mills, PA (Delaware County)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 219 South Cheyney Road, Glen Mills, PA 19342
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Wharton Esherick Museum — Trade hot iron and anvil strikes for hand-carved wooden curves and organic architecture at this nearby Chester County hilltop studio.
- Barker's Mill (aka Nippes Armory) — Pair your hands-on session at an 18th-century mill with the stone ruins of a 19th-century firearm and textile mill tucked away in Gladwyne.
- American Helicopter Museum & Education Center — Jump from 18th-century metalworking physics to 20th-century aviation machinery just eight miles up the road in West Chester.
Good to know
How many students are in each blacksmithing class?
Sessions are strictly capped at four students to ensure instructors Bo Palmatary and Andy Williams can observe and correct every hammer stroke.
What does the Beginning Blacksmithing I class cover and cost?
The six-hour class runs from 10am to 4pm for $250 (materials included, ages 18+) and covers hammer control, tapering techniques, and basic forge safety.
What is the history of Newlin Grist Mill?
The water-powered mill was built in 1704 and operated commercially for over two centuries until 1941. Today the property includes historic National Register buildings and surrounding parkland.
Where is the site located?
It is located at 219 South Cheyney Road in Glen Mills, PA (Delaware County), right off US Route 1 / Baltimore Pike.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia
last checked: 2026-07-19