Lehigh County: Coplay Cement Kilns

Project Description

The County commissioned Spillman Farmer to analyze and restore the kilns. As part of the process, Spillman Farmer will develop a preservation plan with recommendations for stabilization, remediation, and long-term stewardship.

Project Details

  • Client Lehigh County
  • Location Easton, PA View map

Spillman Farmer Architects is currently working with Lehigh County to restore the Coplay Cement Company Kilns. The kilns, originally built in 1892, were used to produce Portland cement, which became a major industry of the Lehigh Valley. The company shut down the kilns in 1904 after transitioning to a more-efficient kiln design, demolished most of the surrounding buildings, and removed the upper 30 feet of each kiln. After acquiring the land in the 1970s, Lehigh County initiated a rehabilitation…

Spillman Farmer Architects is currently working with Lehigh County to restore the Coplay Cement Company Kilns. The kilns, originally built in 1892, were used to produce Portland cement, which became a major industry of the Lehigh Valley. The company shut down the kilns in 1904 after transitioning to a more-efficient kiln design, demolished most of the surrounding buildings, and removed the upper 30 feet of each kiln. After acquiring the land in the 1970s, Lehigh County initiated a rehabilitation effort. The kilns were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The County commissioned Spillman Farmer to analyze and restore the kilns. As part of the process, Spillman Farmer will develop a preservation plan with recommendations for stabilization, remediation, and long-term stewardship. The project will be funded in part by a Historic Preservation Grant by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service. As such, our work must be compliant with all conditions of the grant.

The goals are for the restorations to be historically accurate, and stabilize the structures to allow for public access. It is the County’s hope that Coplay Cement Kilns site becomes a destination for community gathering, and perhaps the eventual site of a museum.