Photo provided to the Times Observer The Wilder Museum's National Forge Exhibit contains artifacts from the National Forge Company, such as this 37 MM anti-tank gun. A free open house is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday night.

The Wilder Museum in Irvine is hosting a free “National Forge Open House” Wednesday night.

The museum will be open from 6 to 8 p.m. “to pay tribute to the National Forge Company and the many men and women who have worked there,” C.J. Chase, program manager with the Warren County Historical Society said.

The history of the museum is tied closely to the history of National Forge.

Robert Wilder, then-chairman of the National Forge Company board, established the museum in 1991 in honor of his father Clinton Wilder.

“As World War I raged across Europe, Clinton Wilder founded the National Forge and Tool Company in Erie, PA, in 1915,” Chase said. “The company’s immediate success led him to look for additional facilities. Wilder purchased the Irvine Steel Forge Company in 1916 and moved his entire operations to Irvine in 1917.”

The Forge, then and now, has been heavily involved in military production, earning the Army/Navy “E” award for excellence during World War II.

“Following Robert Wilder’s passing in 1995, the museum was gifted to the Warren County Historical Society,” Chase said. “The Wilder Museum of Warren County History is the largest museum in the area and home to 4,000 artifacts of local significance.”

That includes Robert Wilder’s 1963 Mercedes Benz and tools and machinery from the Forge including a 37MM anti-tank gun and a torpedo.

Chase said the museum will also be open through Oct. 12 with fall hours set for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.