Kreissle Forge

American, founded 1947

BiographyJust north of the Sarasota/Bradenton airport, along the Tamiami Trail, the Kreissle Forge rests peacefully amid a small stand of pines, as it has for more than 60 years. The forge is the kind of quiet establishment that contributes to our community by the mere fact of its reassuring familiarity. However, Kreissle family members have contributed far more to the communities of Sarasota and Bradenton than just familiarity and reassurance since coming to Sarasota in the 1940s. George Kreissle Sr., arrived in Sarasota at a time when there was a need for ornamental iron work for building projects. In fact, some of the forge's earliest commissions were obtained from prominent local architect Thomas Reed Martin and his son, architect Frank Martin.

German immigrant George Kreissle Sr. was born in 1908 in Leutkrich, Germany. At the age of 14 he began an unpaid apprenticeship there, which lasted for four years. Afterwards, Kreissle was required to work for a qualified ornamental metal making firm operated by a master mechanic in order to earn the status of Master Metalsmith. For this title, Kreissle was required to complete a final examination piece. The piece, a precisely constructed lock, entirely crafted by hand, without the use of machine tools or factory parts, was on display in the forge's showroom for many years.

After immigrating to America in 1927, Kreissle settled in Long Island, New York, establishing Freeport Ornamental Ironworks. In Freeport, Kreissle undertook commissions for ornamental ironwork for several large Long Island estates, as well as working for nationally recognized builder William Levitt in his Long Island developments. Although successful in New York, Kreissle decided to move to Sarasota, to realize his longtime ambition to build a "landmark smithy" that was artistic as well as practical.

Kreissle's dream has been realized at his Sarasota forge. He recounts the family's history in biography, "Forging a Family." It is the oldest hand forge in continuous operation in the state, and one of only a few such forges in the country. From 1947 to the present, the Kreissle's have produced such notable works as the custom gates for St. Mary Star of the Sea Church on Longboat Key, the staircase of the 1960 former Sarasota Herald-Tribune building (southeast corner of Wood Street and U.S. 41), and exact replicas of the original iron entrance gates at Ca'd'Zan (the John and Mable Ringling mansion).

The forge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, for its historical significance in the areas of commerce, industry and art. This article draws extensively from research conducted by Mikki Hartig of Historical and Architectural Research Services for that nomination. Although not architecturally significant, the building was designed by the father and son architectural team of Ralph and William Zimmerman in collaboration with George Kreissle Sr. Kreissle had his own ideas about architecture and layout of the building, drawing rough plans on cardboard to share with the architects. The building was constructed almost exactly as he had first envisioned it, with a large golden anvil (today it is black) on the side of circular driveway to emphasize the forge; a hand-forged sign that reads "Kreissle Forge" across a large chimney; a cupola with a large weather vane on top, hand-forged hardware, Dutch doors, a shake roof, wood cutters and a collection of impressive showrooms. Kreissle family members continue George Sr.'s tradition today. A tradition that, save for the contemporary dress, is as much a part of 18th century as the 21st century.

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