The Iron Man with a Tender Touch

Arthur Zebley went from lifeguard to Unity Village’s premiere metalworker

When I think of wrought iron anything, I picture stark-looking black fences around a small park or a large house. Not unpleasant to look at, but not particularly engaging either.

The wrought iron work at Unity Village, however, is art—warm, unique, and beautiful. Once you know to look for it, it can be hard to stop noticing it. As I head to the Unity Archives to learn a little more about the man behind this work, I see railings, decorative flourishes, and light fixtures that all appear to have been created by Mr. Arthur Zebley.

Arthur C. Zebley, Sr., was hired at the Village in June 1925 as the township was being built and just coming to life. However, his job didn’t have anything to do with metalwork; he was hired as the pool’s first lifeguard and the policeman for the clubhouse.

The Village was growing fast: The 58 acres that had been purchased by the Fillmores in 1919 quickly expanded to 1,100 acres, and by September 1926, Unity Farm (as it was called then) employed 100 workers. Zebley soon identified a new specialty for himself and, at the end of the 1926 swimming season, he set up a blacksmith and repair shop.

From Sharpening Skates to Designing Fixtures

“Shorty,” as he was known around the grounds, was a fixer of curling irons, a mender of road scrapers, and a sharpener of ice skates. He was said to do it all “with a smile and a cheery word.” His work soon exceeded just the repair jobs.

Rickert Fillmore, who took a leading role in the design of the Unity campus, enlisted Zebley’s help with designing and creating the metalwork and other decorative touches meant to beautify the Village.

Fillmore, the son of Unity founders Charles Fillmore and Myrtle Fillmore, envisioned “an establishment of magnitude and beauty that is rather astounding,” according to a Unity News bulletin from the time. His architectural training and an education spent partly in Rome influenced his vision for a Renaissance-inspired campus, and Zebley’s creations were often based on designs from Fillmore himself.

Hand railings, lampposts, flowerpots and flower boxes, and outdoor furniture—not to mention both gas and electric light fixtures—were among the pieces he created throughout the years for Unity Village, until his death in 1939.

Many of these elements are still visible throughout the campus nearly 100 years later, adorning both indoor and outdoor spaces, and they are an essential part of the Village’s aesthetic. As you reach for a metal hand railing or notice an iron chandelier, it’s likely the handiwork of one of Unity Village’s earliest employees and most prolific artisans: Arthur Zebley.

This article appeared in Unity Magazine®.