Complete information about visiting Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site is now on National Park Planner!
The Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site located in Saugus, Massachusetts, preserves the site of the first successful iron manufacturing plant in the American colonies. The iron works began operation in 1646 and continued until financial problems forced its closure in the late 1660s. Over the ensuing 280 years, the plant was lost to nature.
In 1948, archaeologists set out to find the original foundations of the buildings. A slag pile (waste materials from the smelting process) was still clearly visible, so the general location of the plant was known, it just took some digging to find where the buildings were located. The excavation continued until 1953, and as one building was discovered and studied, a working replica was built on its spot. Reproductions of the blast furnace, forge, rolling and slitting mill, and warehouse and dock were constructed, and the site opened to the public in 1954 under the name Saugus Ironworks Restoration. Visitors can still explore the buildings, and on Ranger-guided tours some of the equipment is actually operated.
On the hill above the iron works industrial site is a house from the late 1600s that is also part of the park. Called the Iron Works House, it was originally thought to be the residence of the Saugus Iron Works manager, but research has shown that it was most likely built in the early 1680s after the facility closed. The house was renovated by Wallace Nutting in 1915 to look like it does today. It is open to visitors by guided tour only.
The park’s Visitor Center is housed in an attachment to the Iron Works House that was not part of the original structure, but did exist in 1915. Nutting expanded it for use as the home of his on-site blacksmith, Edward Guy. Next door in the blacksmith shop that was built by Nutting in 1917 is the Iron Works Museum. Here you can see many of the artifacts found in the archaeological dig.
DIRECTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on April 23, 2019
