Q&A: Ronald Siebler (cont.)

ries. I also heard stories of my grandmother and her brother climbing to the platforms of the windmills, sitting there and looking over the fields. I have romantic notions about the whole thing.

So you fixed the defunct Nebraskan windmill. Any others?

I have now restored two windmills from the late 1800s-early 1900s, using the tools and methods of the era — one outside the Siebler blacksmith shop in Nebraska and the other one, a victim of hail damage, in Lantana, Texas. The first one, outside the blacksmith shop, was put on display in the museum for a year before it was returned to its spot in the sky where it is now. When my grandfather died at 99, I got from him one of the tin cups that he hung on the Nebraska windmills. The windmills I restore each get their own tin cup.

Blacksmithing is another hobby that is a family legacy?

Yes, in fact my grandfather, William, first taught me to use a hammer — that’s when I was 3. Later I took the apprenticeship to learn my way around the shop and hone my skills. Each apprenticeship has its own unique legacy handed down from generation to generation.

I recently gave a talk at Old City Park about smithing, the origins of metal work, then versus now very few things are still made on the anvil — the blacksmith’s tools are metal, anvil and fire. Today we have machines and tools that definitely make it more efficient, though any decorative metal work still requires intensive labor.

When you have to make a living remodeling an office or a kitchen, does it seem boring compared to the historical renovations?

No, it is a work of art as well. Remodeling is different than building in that we often get to be part of a solution, be creative, and have a say in what is being created. Because I have ancient tools and knowledge of their methods, I have been brought in on some interesting jobs, such as a home in Preston Hollow that is fashioned after “Harry Potter” and “The Hobbit” settings. In remodeling work, there is usually some element of history. When we took the ceiling down at St. Thomas, for example, we found the signature and date of the two carpenters who had done the ceiling 50 years before. Even in homes, it is not unusual to find a signature of the original builders. Bottom line, I have a passion for history and handiwork that has led to various and interesting experiences.

—Christina Hughes Babb