THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND THE BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN PORTLAND CEMENT INDUSTRY

 presented by: Preston Hull, Architectural Conservator, Building Conservation Associates, Inc.

Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley was the birthplace of America’s portland cement industry. The vertical shaft kilns of the Coplay Cement Company are monuments to the region’s early role, and represent an era of tremendous growth and change in cement manufacture. Understanding the evolution of the kiln technology allows for a greater understanding of the evolution of American building over the last 150 years.