On September 17, 2003 there will be “a public meeting in favor of preserving the historic Bethlehem Steel buildings” that will become the home of the future National Museum of Industrial History. A key 1/3 mile long structure, the Number Two Machine Shop, is being threatened with demolition. Without this building, the massive exhibit space for the museum would no longer be available.

The meeting will include presentations by Lance Metz, a noted steel historian, who will bring several rare artifacts from Bethlehem Steel which are normally stored in archives. Other highlights of the meeting will include displays from former steel workers and a talk from the President of the museum that will utilize the site.

The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Comfort Suites, W. 3rd St. and Brodhead Ave. in Bethlehem, PA. It is being sponsored by the South Bethlehem Historical Society: 610-758-4352. If you or anyone you know has any interest in the project, please attend, or make your voice heard to legislators from the local to national level. Local politicians can be contacted from the links under the "Area Legislators Guide" at:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/ Anything you can constructively
do to make noise and bring attention to the steel mill would be appreciated.

The Preview Center for the museum is still going ahead with a planned opening in November of 2004. This initial phase will primarily utilize the artifacts from the SmithsonianÂ’s former 1876 exhibit.

The preservation of this site is important to railway preservation as the Preview Center alone will feature two 19th century steam locomotives, the 1851 Cumberland Valley RR “Pioneer” 2-2-2T and the Baldwin built 0-4-2T Hawaiian plantation engine “Olomana.” The final phase of the project will preserve and open to visitors the steel mill itself which includes a fleet of molten metal and slag cars as well as a separate system with a three foot gauge Whitcomb diesel and cars. Additionally, an elevated, broad gauge, electric ore hauling railway is still in existence and slated to be used as a people moving system.



My pictures of the site from June, 2003
piersa2001@yahoo.com

Thanks very much for the updated on this project Mike. I hope that the building in question will be saved.

As I have a strong interest in trasportation and industry, and an MA in museum studies, this would probably be among my dream jobs.

I wish the project you and the project all the best, I will certainly keep tabs on it!

Joshua

joshua@joshuakblay.com

Two notes: First, any time Lance Metz is speaking it is worth going. He is *the* source for railroad, canal and industrial history and preservation in the Lehigh Valley.

Lance has dedicated his life to saving the history of the area and worked closely with The Steel to save key pieces of rail equioment and infrastructure. Lance deserves our support, personally.

Second, there have been some shenanigans going on in South Bethlehem, with the destruction of trees that The Steel had planted several decades ago to beautify the area around the office building.

Also, the skew bridges on 3rd Street over the old Reading grade are to be demolished and the grade blocked with fill.

Let's hope for some progress next week!

Rob

PS: There hahve been good industrial development projects going on in some parts of the mill complex.

rdavis@rypn.org