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Oct 19, 2024

Steel beams removed from historic structure in Bethlehem, as restoration nears end | Lehigh Valley Regional News | wfmz.com

The Grist Miller's House BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Three steel beams were removed from a historic structure in Bethlehem, as its restoration is set to be done by late 2024. On Monday, Historic Bethlehem

The Grist Miller's House

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Three steel beams were removed from a historic structure in Bethlehem, as its restoration is set to be done by late 2024.

On Monday, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites celebrated the removal of three steel beams from the Grist Miller’s House in Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter.

For over two decades, steel beams have been needed to stabilize the exterior and interior of an over 200-year-old building, according to a news release from Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites.

Once the restoration is complete in late 2024, the Grist Miller’s House will accommodate the Ralph G. Schwarz Center for Colonial Industries, according to the news release.

The Grist Miller’s House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located on Bethlehem’s north side near Monacacy Creek. In 1782, the site was home to a miller and his family, sitting as a 1.5-story stone residence and featuring Germanic styling in its earliest form, the HBMS said.

The house, which included a kitchen, one large room, and a basement, was one of the early private family homes constructed after the period of the General Economy ended in the 1760s. After expanding in 1832, the home was a residence until the 1970s.

“The removal of these massive steel beams marks the last significant restoration project in the Colonial Industrial Quarter tackled by HBMS over three decades,” said LoriAnn Wukitsch, HBMS’s president & CEO.

“So many Lehigh Valley residents know the building by the steel beams. This accomplishment is a testament to Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites’ commitment to preserving Bethlehem’s heritage and our pursuit to ensure that future generations can appreciate the rich history the Moravian town planning created in the 1700s, which still exists today. We are grateful to everyone who has supported our Taking the World Stage campaign, ensuring that this significant historic building can welcome visitors far and wide to experience the house in its restored glory.“

HBMS recognizes Schwarz (1925-2018) for his innovative contributions to the city. Schwarz has had a long-lasting impact on Bethlehem’s Moravian and industrial history, the HBMS says. He was responsible for various historical transformations in the city and Bethlehem Steel from the 1960s to the late 1990s.

The HBMS says he was a driving force behind the founding of Historic Bethlehem and the initial restoration efforts on many of the early Moravian settler landmarks, including the Gemeinhaus, the Single Brethren’s House, the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, the Sun Inn, and Burnside Plantation, as well as lands along the Monocacy Creek encompassing the Tannery and the Waterworks in the Colonial Industrial Quarter.

He was involved in numerous projects, from Historic New Harmony in Indiana to the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.

“I believe Ralph would be extremely proud of Moravian Church Settlements - Bethlehem becoming the 26th World Heritage Site on July 26, 2024 in the United States,” said Wukitsch.

The year is 1782. The American Revolution was coming to an end and Moravian Bethlehem found itself the center of attention. Aristocratic French army officers, imbued with the spirit of the Enlightenment, had come to marvel at the wonderful town with its many industries.

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