Our Family Business

Leigh Morrell started his first forge fire in the spring of 1970 at farrier school learning to forge horseshoes, punch the nail holes, and turn the heels of the shoes. He spent the next nine years shoeing horses, and purchased his first blacksmith forge and anvil around 1975. Leigh would spend winter weekends making hooks, hangers, and pokers for local sale and for his own personal use. When his back failed from bending over shoeing, Leigh transferred his vocation to blacksmithing ornamental ironwork in 1979. The company, West Village Forge, was started in 1981. His eldest son, Justin, joined him in business, becoming an apprentice and eventually a professional smith himself. In 1994, as Leigh was looking at relocation and an expanded business, the company was renamed Morrell Metalsmiths, and was ultimately incorporated in 2003.

Even though he calls himself a professional blacksmith, Leigh feels his knowledge of the field has just begun, and says it has been a new experience each and every day with new and varied challenges. He feels fortunate to have the loving support of his wife, Alexa, and the help and support of each of his five children and their spouses, Cristen, Justin (and his wife, Kim), Sean (and his wife, Amanda), Evan, and Erin. Justin continues at Morrell Metalsmiths, Ltd as Shop Foreman, while Sean is working as a computer engineer at BAE, Cristen is the owner of Aliber's Bridal, Evan has joined the Air National Guard and is away during basic training and tech school, and Erin is currently in her Junior year of home schooling.