At Saugus, the first integrated ironworks in North America took shape in the mid-17th century as a complete operation producing cast and wrought iron from local raw materials. Moved to the Saugus River and called Hammersmith, the works began operating in 1646 under Richard Leader, using waterpower and advanced machinery to supply everyday colonial goods such as pots, tools, nails, and merchant bars. Skilled workers from England, indentured servants, and Scottish prisoners of war labored there, but high costs and poor management led to its closure around 1670. Its later recovery through archaeology and preservation made it a powerful example of early colonial industry.