SAUGUS — The Iron Works National Historic Site has started a major preservation and restoration project this week that is anticipated to continue until midsummer.
The project involves work on the blast furnace, casting shed and charging bridge to maintain safety and accurately reflect the historic appearance and function of the iron works reconstruction, said Susan Russo, program manager at Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works National Historic sites.
“The historic buildings and structures at the site are generally in good condition,” said Russo. “Using historic-preservation practices, the National Park Service aims to maintain them through regular maintenance combined with more extensive projects like this one to perform significant repair.”
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site safeguards and showcases the reconstructed hammersmith site and resources associated with the first sustained, integrated iron works in British Colonial America, which operated on the Saugus River from 1646-70.
“What makes this site significant is that, while walking the grounds, visitors can imagine what the 1646 Saugus Iron Works was like when it served as a training ground for skilled ironworkers, laying the foundation of the U.S. iron-and-steel industry,” Russo added.
The site also depicts the Colonial Revival Movement, historic preservation and historical archeology in the first half of the 20th century.
The 12-acre site contains a museum, reconstructed industrial buildings, working waterwheels, a reproduction blacksmith shop, a 17th-century home, an herb garden, a half-mile nature trail, picnic area, a visitor center and a dock.
Preservation of the iron works started in the early 20th century with the restoration and protection of the Iron Works House, which is the only structure on site that survived from the 1600s. The house was privately owned until 1945, when the Town of Saugus bought it and authorized the lease to the First Iron Works Association.
In the 1940s and 1950s, professional archaeologists, historians, scientists, and architects worked together to build the iron works reconstruction. In 1968, the iron works became the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site and was officially added to the National Parks system by an Act of Congress.
The charging bridge and blast furnace project was submitted for approval and funding in 2016, and was approved and funded in early 2021.
The project to repair the blast furnace and charging bridge is funded by the National Park Service through the Cyclic Maintenance Program. This program funds maintenance projects that are required at national parks throughout the country, in addition to a park’s base funding, Russo said.
During the construction, portions of the paved path in front of the charging bridge, portions of the main lawn and all access to the blast furnace will be fenced off for materials and equipment storage, with no access for visitors. The remaining unfenced lawn areas, entrances to the park and all other pathways through the park will remain open to the public.
Additional temporary closures might be required to ensure safety for construction activities.
The construction activity, which will generate increased noise, will primarily take place on Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
