Nol Putnam
Nol Putnam at his Huntly forge in 2021.
Renowned Rappahannock blacksmith and artist Nol Putnam passed away Sunday night. A county resident since 2001, Putnam was a long-time fixture on the Fall Art Tour, sharing White Oak Forge, his story, and his talent with a multitude of entranced visitors over the years.
Putnam’s more notable works include three gates in the Columbarium of the National Cathedral. The third, the Folger Gate, took 1,200 hours to complete — there are 250 intricate leaves in its design. He also designed and crafted a gate for the Rockefeller Plantation in Tarrytown, New York, a gate on Tiger Valley Road near Little Washington and numerous other works in private collections around the world.
Internationally-recognized for his work, the artistry and innovation he brought to blacksmithing is just one of many legacies he leaves behind.
Putnam became ill recently and was diagnosed with cancer several days ago. More details in this week’s Rappahannock News.
Read more about Putnam in Tim Carrington’s 2021 story:
Leaving the forge: Rappahannock blacksmith Nol Putnam sketches life’s next chapter
Rappahannock County’s celebrated blacksmith, now 87, is preparing to leave his forge in Huntly, and perhaps, depart the county where many of his sculptures grace the landscape and where memories and friendships proliferate. For now, he is hard at work on what he has concluded will be his last commission.
Read Veronika Benson’s 2017 story:
Nol Putnam: Metal Muse
By Veronika Benson
Watch the trailer to Rappahannock filmmakers’ Tracy and Mathieu Mazza 2019 documentary on Putnam:
Video | Forging Art: Nol Putnam, Artist Blacksmith Trailer
Step inside White Oak Forge where Artist-Blacksmith Nol Putnam employs centuries-old techniques to make art out of iron and steel. Watch the full documentary at https://www.pbs.org/video/forging-art-nol-putnam-artist-blacksmith-uc8ilt/
