Best underrated historical site

For many city folk, the thought of trekking to Saugus to see an old iron works is, well, less than appealing. It almost sounds as if poor, maligned Saugus is trying to suck in hapless, don't-know-any-better tourists. But no -- this is well worth the trip. And thanks to the Mass Highway Department, signs installed last year will prevent you from getting hopelessly lost after leaving Route 1. The Saugus Iron Works was the country's first commercial metalworking foundry. In 1642 workers poured the first American casting here, which was such a big deal it has its own name -- the Saugus pot. After years of clear-cutting trees for the huge, hungry furnace at the rate of an acre a day, the iron works closed up shop in the mid-1670s.

Nowadays, it's a peaceful, bucolic historic site. A nature trail leads from the main house, where the man who built the works lived, down past the slag heap to the blacksmith's forge, where demonstrations are given. Imposing wooden wheels now have just a sad trickle of water flowing through them from the Saugus River. Inside, there are stone furnaces, metalworking tools, and absolutely the biggest set of bellows you'll ever see. (This must have been the warmest place in the state during those nasty 17th-century winters.) A separate building displays some of the products produced at the works.

Back at the main house is a 17th-century garden featuring 65 culinary and medicinal herbs. In addition to the usual suspects like basil and thyme, there's also madden, soapwort, and teasel. According to the labels, many of the herbs seemed to be used either for flavoring stews or curing sexual dysfunction. Who needs Viagra, anyway?

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, 244 Central Street, Saugus. (781) 233-0050.