The original blacksmith shop on the site is long gone, however, in 1962 an archaeological team made of students from the University of Illinois approached the Deere Company about excavating the site where the shop once stood.
The team unearthed the location of the original Deere Blacksmith Shop where the first successful steel plow was developed in 1837.
The dig site is preserved beneath a building, known as the pavilion.
The site is surrounded by museum exhibits which include artifacts, news clippings, and photographs.

A blacksmith shop does occupy the current John Deere Historic Site grounds.
Archaeologists used a magnetometer to locate the position of the forge in the original blacksmith shop, thus, the current shop shares an interior which is an exact replica of the original.
The exterior of the building has the same dimensions as the original as well.
The original blacksmith shop on the site is long gone, however, in 1962 an archaeological team made of students from the University of Illinois approached the Deere Company about excavating the site where the shop once stood. The team unearthed the location of the original Deere Blacksmith Shop where the first successful steel plow was developed in 1837. The dig site is preserved beneath a building, known as the pavilion. The site is surrounded by museum exhibits which include artifacts, news clippings, and photographs.
A blacksmith shop does occupy the current John Deere Historic Site grounds. Archaeologists used a magnetometer to locate the position of the forge in the original blacksmith shop, thus, the current shop shares an interior which is an exact replica of the original. The exterior of the building has the same dimensions as the original as well.
John Deere House and Shop