Updates planned for metal fabrication shop at historic Bally Blacksmith Shop site

The Bally Blacksmith Shop has been a centerpiece in downtown Grand Marais since it was build in 1911 by Sam Bally. In 2009 Bill Bally closed the shop, and in 2013 the Cook County Historical Society took over managing the site on behalf of the county.

The original shop has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1986. The site also includes a metal fabrication shop that the Bally family added in the 1960s. The historical society recently got approval from the Cook County Board of Commissioners to do some updates in that metal shop space.

Cook County Historical Society Director Katie Clark told WTIP that while the newer structure is not a registered historic building, it is old enough to qualify for historic status. At this time, however, it is still in active use by the historical society for processing collections, doing repairs, and storage of seasonal items, like their herring skiff.

Clark said that the historical society has worked to balance the metal shop’s role as both a workspace for current projects, and a part of the historic site. She said that when they took over management of the space, the historical society opted to maintain museum elements in the metal shop, like historic tools and projects from the nearly hundred years that the Ballys operated the business. She said, “We tried to leave in place what we could, just to kind of tell more of the story what’s gone on in there throughout the decades.”

Soon, though, the metal fabrication shop will be getting some updates. Clark explained that while the historical society aims to maintain the character of the building since it is part of a historic site, it does require several changes to ensure that it is safe as a working shop. Clark listed updates to the electrical and heating systems in the metal fabrication shop as changes that the historical society could make without compromising the building’s character or potential future inclusion on the national register. She said that updates based on safety were generally not contested in historic buildings.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Cook County Historical Society Director Katie Clark about the updates planned for the Bally Blacksmith Shop site, and about the process for making improvements to historic sights.

Kirsten Wisniewski March 20, 2024