Rowley Village Forge Site
National Register of Historic Places

Rowley Village Forge Site

Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 2, 2001
Type
Site
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
01000201

About this property

The Rowley Village Forge Site is a historic colonia-era iron foundry site in Boxford, Massachusetts. The first iron forge in the area was established on Fish Brook in 1668 by Henry Leonard of the Leonard family, who were instrumental in the Saugus Iron Works further south. This business ran until about 1681, but the site also saw industrial uses into the 19th century, with sawmills and gristmills quickly replacing the foundry after it failed. Remnants of these works are visible from trails through conservation land off Lockwood Drive. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Location

Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts

Categories

HISTORIC - ABORIGINALINDUSTRY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Questions about this property

When was Rowley Village Forge Site listed on the National Register?

Rowley Village Forge Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Rowley Village Forge Site?

Rowley Village Forge Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rowley Village Forge Site?

The period of significance for Rowley Village Forge Site is recorded as the Colonial era, specifically around 1668.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Rowley Village Forge Site

This page lists Rowley Village Forge Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Rowley Village Forge Site report
Or see a real report first

More in Essex County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Essex County.

Explore EssexCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Rowley Village Forge Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report