The steam hammer, perfected for industrial use in 1840, was an industrial power hammer driven by steam and used to hammer mostly wood and various metals. This particular machine, the Arnott Pile Hammer, was manufactured by Union Iron Works in Hoboken, New Jersey, and used by the Great Northern Paper Company.

Union Iron Works advertised their steam hammers as the safest on the market, and although their hammers delivered lighter blows, they included more repetitions. Eventually, steam hammers were replaced with hydraulic presses.