Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

Saugus Massachusetts U.S.A.

Grand Re-opening 17 May 2008

Welcoming sign

When we arrived the Iron Guild folks were setting up their equipment

We were provided with a handsome tent which kept us out of the sun and was much appreciated.

Todd Cahill's newest model. The very authentic looking granite blocks are actually made of MDF and skilfully made to look like the real thing

An earlier work by Todd. More photos of this model can be seen here: http://neme-s.org/cranberry_flywheelers_2002.htm

Todd Cahill model Todd chats with show visitor

display of molding samples, Errol Groff

Ed Rogers models

Herb Cotterly model

a. b. c.

View from the top of the furnace of the dock where finished product was shipped down river to be loaded onto bigger ships for transport to England and other ports of commerce.

The round stone structure is the top of the furnace. Charcoal and bog iron were loaded in layers through this opening. As the charcoal burned it heated the iron and when it finally worked its way down to the bottom of the furnace it was hot enough to to pour.

View back to the area where the iron pouring demenstration took place

Wheelbarrow typical of the sort used in the 1600's.

Tool used to rack the materials being dumped into the furnace.

Dick Boucher, current president of NEMES

Magic sluiceway. The sluiceway disappears into the hill side. In the 1600's water came from upstream to run the water wheels. Now water is pumped up into the "magic sluiceways" from pump house by the dock shown above. Water is recycled to run the wheels, a clever way to preserve the appearance of authenticity.

From the top of the furnace one can see the forging shed. The wheel on the left runs the forging hammer and the one on the right powers a bellows for a hearth in which material was heated before forging.

When the wheels are running water can be seen pouring cown the chute to the left of the bridge. It never reached the river to the right of the bridge because is drains into a holding tank under the bridge to be recirculated back up to the sluiceways.

The building behind the forging shed is the rolling and slitting mill.

The back side of the furnace. The wheel which can be seen in the lower left corner of the photo runs the bellows for the furnace.

Views of the wheels at the forging shed

View of the forge hammer wheel running and sound of the forge hammer dropping

View of the bellows wheel in operation

L. View out the window of the slitting mill. The gentleman in the right hand photo described how the slitting and rolling mills operated. .I will have to return to take video of the mill as I did not have my external light with me and the mill was quite dark.