Central Casting (a.k.a NPC ideas)

[Wolf sword]

The Old Skill School
This is something that you can use as a seed to build a community around.
The Old Folk School is an artist school and trade school. they teach things like timber framing, gardening, boat building, cooking, gun-smithing (blackpowder era weapons)
here is a link to one such place here in Minnesota:
http://www.northhouse.org/
take a look at what they classes that they have to offer.