In Memoriam: Nol Putnam (1934-2023)

Our hearts today are with the family of Nol Putnam, a Virginia blacksmith who spent several years sharing his craft with the Cathedral, who died this week at the age of 89.

Nol was a legend in the blacksmith trade, a self-taught craftsman who spent thousands of hours shaping 2,000-degree iron into brilliant works of art. He began his career at the Cathedral in the 1980s; he delivered his final pieces just last year.

His best-known work at the Cathedral are a set of three iron gates in the Cathedral’s crypt-level columbarium. The heavy gates protect the final resting places of Helen Keller, Matthew Shepard, First Lady Edith Wilson, bishops, priests and musicians.

While the Cathedral is perhaps best known for its stained-glass and stone carvings, the building is also home to large collection of wrought iron artistry. In 2014, Nol teamed with three Cathedral docents to produce a book, “Beauty in the Shadows,” which chronicles every piece of wrought iron in the Cathedral. From the book:

“Once one begins to notice the ironwork in the building and on the grounds here, it is surprising just how many doors, latches and railings there are. It is not too much to suggest that the ironwork knits the fabric of the Cathedral’s stone and glass together. it both separates and connects the building from the grounds, and it does the same with all the materials inside the building itself.”

And then this:

“Once noticed here, you will find it in many other places, utilitarian and beautiful, practical or decorative to gladden the heart, and finally because it is iron, all but timeless.”

A few staggering numbers to put it all into perspective:

• One set of Nol’s double gates contains 42 flowers and 204 leaves.
• Each leaf requires about 50 hammers from the blacksmith to shape into form.
• The gates weigh 1,200 pounds.
• The estimated time to produce each gate was roughly 1,200 hours.

Nol also crafted four free-standing candelabra that are used in the Cathedral nave, as well as his final projects (also located in the columbarium): an elaborate six-foot candlestick, matching crosses and a meditation bench fashioned from walnut wood from his family farm in Massachusetts. He also created several handrails that guide visitors into St. John’s Chapel and St. Mary’s Chapel.

For a deeper dive into Nol’s work – particularly his gates in the columbarium – here’s a Docent Spotlight talk from 2021, and a short documentary, “Forging Art,” that is streaming on Maryland Public Television.

Read more:

Leaving the Forge (2021, The Rappahannock Times)
Nol Putnam: Metal Muse (2018, The Piedmont Virginian)
Hitting Iron (1993, The Washington Post)

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.