Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

Saugus Iron Works is the site of the first integrated ironworks in North America, 1646-1668. It includes the reconstructed blast furnace, forge, rolling mill, and a restored seventeenth century house. The historic structures of the Iron Works are nestled along the banks of the Saugus River, an important natural resource for newly settled families and workers to the area during the 17th century. The tidally influenced Saugus River runs through the park and is a principal natural resource for a wide variety of plants, animals, and other organisms that depend on the river, riparian woodlands, and surrounding marshes as an important habitat. The site is filled with plant and animal diversity. The site contains over two hundred species of plants, thirty five species of birds, ten species of mammals, four species of reptiles and amphibians, and at least four species of fish. The site also has numerous species of invertebrates, such as insects, spiders, and crustaceans, an important food source for larger wildlife residing along the Saugus River.