Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter (CIQ) is home to a rich history of American industry and innovation. Two iconic structures at the north end of the CIQ stand as pillars of this heritage: the 1782 / 1834 Grist Miller’s House and the 1761 Tannery.
These historic buildings have witnessed the birth and growth of Bethlehem’s industrial revolution — serving as key players in the Moravian’s thriving Colonial economy.
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) has initiated extensive projects to restore these essential historic structures to their former, welcoming state and to open their doors to the public.
“The incredible buildings that surround Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites are a tangible link to our past,” said LoriAnn Wukitsch, President & CEO of HBMS. “These special structures tell stories visitors experience as they walk by or enter. And we want them to come inside. These structures keep community memories alive.”
The 1782 / 1834 Grist Miller’s House is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits adjacent to the east of the Luckenbach Mill, a former grist mill on Old York Road.
The original stone masonry house was one of the earliest private Moravian family homes. It included a kitchen and one large, divided living space over a small basement.
The building served as a residence until the 1970s and as interim offices for Historic Bethlehem. It is vacant and deteriorating with emergency structural stabilization work that occurred in 2007 to brace the west wall.
The architect for the project is Christine Ussler of Artefact, Inc. The Bethlehem architectural firm specializes in historic preservation and adaptive reuse.
The undertaking aims to not only stabilize and restore the 140-plus-year-old building’s exterior and interior but will enhance an already varied experience offered to the public and student groups by the surrounding buildings in the Colonial Industrial Quarter — considered to be the country’s earliest industrial park.
The building will be rehabilitated to serve several purposes. The Grist Miller’s House will present the Colonial Industrial Quarter to visitors with a welcoming gallery and a flexible space for school groups, lectures, and other small displays. The building will house the Ralph Schwarz Interpretation Center for Colonial Trades and Industries, where visitors will be introduced to the CIQ.
The project includes a proposed connector to link the Miller’s House to the Luckenbach Mill. This connector, the Overlook on History, has been designed as a modern glass and steel structure.
The restoration work continues on the other side of the Luckenbach Mill. A dedicated team of preservationist craftsmen has been working on the 1761 Tannery’s third floor to restore the windows and to rebuild elements, including the barn doors, which have failed from age and deterioration.
Bethlehem’s Mark Southard and his company, Artisanal Structures LLC, are leading the renovation project with great care and in the traditional way.
“It’s our plan to pay attention to the species of wood used and to be faithful to the original domestic materials,” explained Southard. “At the same time, we’re giving preference to rot-resistant white oak and black locust hardwoods for the future.”
Southard’s team completed some of the work on-site and took some of the pieces back to their shop for repairs and reconstruction.
Phase one of the project also includes restoring the building’s dormers and the barge boards at the gable ends of the roof.
Phase two involves rebuilding herringbone-patterned doors on the first floor in keeping with the architectural style of the historic Moravian buildings.
HBMS is also investigating the management of the water infiltration into the tanning vats.
In 1761, the Moravians constructed the Tannery along the Monocacy Creek to process leather alongside a neighboring butchery.
They produced roughly 3,000 hides per year, providing materials for clothing, footwear, harnesses, fire buckets, and machinery components. The Tannery was equipped with vats for soaking the hides with a mix of tanbark and water. The entire process, in Colonial times, could take up to two years.
In 1830, the Moravian Church sold the business, but tanning was still conducted there until it was transformed into a multi-family residence in 1873. Almost a century later (1968-1971) the building was restored.
HBMS’s efforts have been accelerated in recent months — in preparation for a series of UNESCO World Heritage assessments and evaluations this year.
In February, the U.S. Department of Interior submitted a multi-country nomination to the World Heritage List of historic “Moravian Church Settlements.”
This transnational nomination includes Bethlehem, Gracehill, Northern Ireland/U.K., and Herrnhut, Germany. If approved by the World Heritage Committee, these three sites will join the previously inscribed Moravian settlement of Christiansfeld, Denmark.
“Each of these remarkable structures in the Colonial Industrial Quarter breathes life into captivating stories, waiting to be explored,” says Wukitsch. “Join us on our mission to preserve community memories as we invite you to make history with us!”
