Work Through Time: Cape Breton Stories of Land & Sea

The LeNoir Forge is located along the water’s edge in Arichat. The Forge was built in 1793 the LeNoirs, who were native to St. Pierre et Miquelon. Thomas LeNoir and his brother, Simon, were skilled locksmiths as well as stonemasons and blacksmiths. They established a locksmith business at Arichat, but because there was no profit to be made in that business, they eventually turned to the blacksmith trade. The beautiful construction of the Forge is a result of their excellent stonemasonry and the building adheres to the French system of metric measurements.

The blacksmith business was prosperous in Arichat, for the town was a thriving shipping port during the nineteenth century. Much ironwork was required by ships, and items and tools such as anchors, chains, horseshoes, and bolts were fabricated at the LeNoir Forge. Their specialty, however, was ship work.

The LeNoir shipyard was located to the west of their Forge. Some of the old launching logs may still be seen. In connection with the Forge, a deep-water wharf extended into the harbour to serve as a dock for ships. On the east of the building, a slip took care of the smaller vessels, or "shallops," as they were called.

Many men from all over Cape Breton considered it an honour to take their blacksmith apprenticeship at the LeNoir Forge. The LeNoirs were considered to be the best in the trade. The original forge stands intact except for certain sections of the front and west walls as well as the roof. These were restored in a Municipal-Centennial undertaking in . Arsenault Stonemasons of Antigonish were employed for the task, and they must be credited for a job well done.

When the LeNoir Forge re-opened in 1967, late Tony LeBlanc, a blacksmith, relived the old days when the Forge was in operation. Charles Malzard, a great-grandson of Thomas LeNoir, was the last owner of the LeNoir Forge. Presently, the Forge is open to the public as a museum.

These edited excerpts originally appeared in the Isle Madame Historical Society’s Historic Project ’80, which was compiled and completed in the summer of 1980.

ⓒ 1980, 2009 Isle Madame Historical Society