The D&L Blog

Nearly $700K Investment Will Help Preserve Bethlehem’s Colonial History

The National Park Service has awarded $699,300 through the Historic Preservation Fund’s Semiquincentennial Grant Program to support preservation work within Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter (CIQ). The three-year project will preserve the historic 1761 Tannery and address invasive vegetation threatening historic resources throughout the CIQ.

The 1761 Tannery has been closed to the public for 22 years due to water infiltration and resulting damage. Originally used to process hides essential to Bethlehem’s colonial economy, the Tannery later produced leather goods during the American Revolution, helping supply the Continental Army. HBMS previously completed work to address water infiltration as part of a multiphase effort to preserve and eventually reopen the building. The new grant will fund Phase III, focused on preservation of the Tannery’s historic stone walls. A separate, final phase will address HVAC and electrical improvements.

The grant will also fund efforts to combat Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant that has spread throughout the CIQ and can threaten historic structures. Work will include developing and implementing a mitigation plan, removing existing knotweed, and establishing native vegetation to help prevent its return.

Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Inc. (DLNHC) will serve as the project lead and federal grant administrator, bringing experience in federal grant and project management, as well as historic preservation. “The Colonial Industrial Quarter is such an important part of what makes this city unique and is central to the story of the heritage corridor,” said Tony Pierucci, executive director of DLNHC. “We are excited to step alongside HBMS and other partners to help advance the preservation of this important resource.”

Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS), which operates the CIQ, will play a key role on the project team, drawing upon its experience in the preservation and interpretation of the site.

“The 1761 Tannery is the only surviving 18th-century Moravian industrial building in the world. With preservation efforts and updated interpretation, we can invite students and the public back into the expansive historic space to learn about daily life in Bethlehem, including the many trades and crafts the Moravians practiced on the Monocacy Creek,” said LoriAnn Wukitsch, president and CEO of Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites.

The Tannery and the CIQ are also part of Moravian Church Settlements – Bethlehem, one of four historic Moravian settlements across the world that comprise a transnational UNESCO World Heritage.

“Preserving the Tannery honors both our local history and our shared responsibility to the world community that recognizes Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem as a World Heritage Site,” says Dr. Katherine M. Faull, Site Manager, Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage Site, and Vice President for Moravian Heritage, Moravian University. Dr. Faull will provide guidance on the project in compliance with the site’s World Heritage designation and obligations to UNESCO.

The City of Bethlehem owns the Colonial Industrial Quarter, including the Tannery, and is responsible for its stewardship. The city will provide local oversight for the project. 

About the Grant

This project is supported in part by a grant awarded by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, through the Historic Preservation Fund’s Semiquincentennial Grant Program, which supports the preservation of historic resources associated with America’s founding.

About The Partners

Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (DLNHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that preserves and celebrates the places, landscapes and history of eastern Pennsylvania. Through the historic canal towpath and D&L Trail and programs including the National Canal Museum and Get Your Tail on the Trail, DLNHC connects communities to the nature, culture, recreation and industrial heritage that make the region special.

Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) is a nonprofit institution that brings to life three centuries of American history. HBMS tells the story of a small town of great influence founded by Moravians on December 24, 1741, and home to some of our nation’s earliest settlers, America’s first municipal water pumping system, the earliest school to educate women in the American Colonies, and one of the world’s greatest industrial companies of the 20th century. HBMS preserves 20 historic structures, 7 gardens, 5 ruins, 1 orchard, and 60,000+ artifacts in the heart of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Learn more at historicbethlehem.org.