The “Keeper of Gates,” “Dean of Charleston Blacksmiths,” and “Giver of Gates” are just a few of the honorific titles given to master blacksmith Philip Simmons. His ornamental ironwork is known internationally, and he spent his life sharing his craft with others.
Philip Simmons was born on June 9, 1912, in Wando, South Carolina, on Daniel Island. When he was 8, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to live with his mother on Vernon Street. His interest in blacksmithing began as he walked to and from Buist Elementary School, seeing the beautiful ironwork along the historic streets. When he walked into the busy blacksmith shop of Master Blacksmith Peter Simmons (no relation), he loved the sounds and excitement of blacksmithing: the horses kicking, metal clanging, and fire roaring. At age 8, Philip Simmons asked “Mr. Peter” if he could work for him, but due to his young age safety concerns, Mr. Simmons refused. But Philip Simmons never gave up the dream of working at that shop. Philip Simmons remembers stopping by on his way to school for the next few years, asking, “You ready to hire me?” Finally, Peter Simmons told him to come back when he was 13, and he would hire him then. On the day of Philip Simmons’s thirteenth birthday, he returned from school and told “Mr. Peter” that he was 13, and the next day, he began his blacksmith apprenticeship. He would spend the next 78 years learning and teaching blacksmithing.
The first thing he learned was how to make the fire and keep it going. From there, he began shoeing horses and repairing wagon wheels. Peter Simmons also trained him to make his own tools and equipment. When cars began taking over horses and wagons, he spent 14 years making trailers for cars. Then, factories started using machines to make trailers for half the cost of Simmon’s trailers. These two massive changes altered the landscape of blacksmithing in Charleston. Many blacksmiths closed shop, moved away, or changed work. This did not deter Simmons, though; he saw it as the perfect time to move to the specialized field of ornamental blacksmithing. With the popularity of cars, people were looking to add more safety to their driveways and yards. His first client was local merchant Jack Krawcheck, who commissioned Simmons to create a driveway gate to keep his children from running in the street.
After making that first gate in 1948, Simmons fashioned more than 600 pieces, including gates, fences, balconies, and window grills. He was often commissioned for work and was given creative freedom to make his own designs. He was inspired by nature, as seen in many of his creations. He loved to include trees, plants, birds, stars, moons, and snakes. He also included harps and hearts to represent his love for music and his community.
His original work, traditional methods, and restoration of historic pieces are one reason Charleston holds so much beauty today. When he began doing ornamental work, he didn’t have a mentor or blacksmiths around him who could teach him. He had to learn from the people before him through repairing historic work, figuring out their techniques by studying the piece, and then applying those techniques himself. He made all his own tools. Instead of arc welding like his contemporaries, Simmons continued using the technique of riveting to help preserve that historic methodology. When existing ornamental metalworks deteriorated, rusted, or broke, Charleston had someone who could fix or recreate them, rather than the alternative of being torn down and replaced with something more modern.
His favorite design, and the one he is most proud of, is the piece he began at the Washington D.C. Festival of American Folklife in 1976, “The Star and Fish Gate.” Philip Simmons fashioned this wrought-iron gate on the National Mall during the festival, using a portable foundry and anvil. His temporary workshop attracted thousands of people’s attention during the festival, so much so that he was unable to finish the piece. He was asked to come back and finish it. When he did, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History purchased the gate.
National recognition would follow him throughout his life. In 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded him its National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor the United States can bestow on a traditional artist. In 1994, he was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was presented the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest reward, by Governor David Beasley. In the early 2000s, the National Park Service commissioned Simmons to design the Liberty Square Gate at Fort Sumter. In 2001, he was awarded the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. In 2006 he earned an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from South Carolina State University. Dozens of articles, videos, books, and interviews show his dedication to his craft and the love he received because of it.
Training apprentices was a major part of Philip Simmons’s career. He trained 10 apprentices, most of whom were hired as permanent workers after their apprenticeship, and 2 of them became master blacksmiths, who were passed down Simmons’s shop upon his retirement. Whenever Simmons had a commission piece, he wanted to ensure the apprentices were involved. He liked for them to participate in meetings with customers and only started the work if the apprentice was there to see it. As their skills strengthened, he would give the apprentice more responsibility with each new piece. He wanted his apprentices to learn about the trade, the business, and working with customers. As he got older, his shop held classes every month for people across the country to learn about blacksmithing. He loved it when other blacksmiths came to show him their work, ask questions, and get his advice. When asked how long he thinks it will take a person to learn blacksmithing, he firmly believes that he never stopped learning. He continued to learn new things through experience and the many people he met, worked with, and taught, even after almost 80 years of blacksmithing.
Philip Simmons is the most celebrated 20th century blacksmith in Charleston. He overcame industry obstacles, mastered his craft, and shared his knowledge. His work and legacy are cared for by the city of Charleston and the countless blacksmiths inspired by him.
Want to know more about Philip Simmons? Check out the resources below for more information!
- In preserving his legacy, Philip Simmons’s home is now a museum opened to the public as a museum house.
- Hear Philip Simmons’s story directly from him in this interview: Oral History Interview with Philip Simmons.
- See photocopies of Philip Simmons sketches and other works: Philip Simmons Collection – Lowcountry Digital Library.