Bethlehem Steel

Since we were talking about industrial relics and also steel today, I thought I would comment briefly on my experience with Bethlehem Steel.

Bethlehem Steel was one of the two large steel mills in the US (along with US Steel in Pittsburgh) from after the civil war and throughout the 20th century. Not only did the mill supply much of the steel for most major cities and structures, including the Empire State Building, Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam, but the company was the perfect case study for the birth of labor unions, industrial social fabric of the US, and the 1980's industrial decline due to cheaper foreign supply. Bethlehem Steel went bankrupt in 2001 and has since been closed off and developers went to work thinking about what they could do with such a "wonderful" opportunity.

After a failed attempt by the Smithsonian to open a museum in the old steel mill, the wall caved for typical glitzy money-making development. Slot machines, hotels, restaurants, a performance venue dominate the master plan, although some of the structures, including the large blast furnaces (visible from miles away) will be preserved and somehow incorporated into the plan. The development, despite the obvious controversy has spawned an enormous amount of commercial developments including shopping centers and various entertainment facilities. The landscape, demographic and culture, especially in South Bethlehem, is changing at an absurd rate. There is too much to say about all of this.

I went to Lehigh for the 5 years right after the mill was closed, and had my opportunities to jump the fence, sneak around, and try to glimpse into the past in a setting in the middle of one of the most significant industrial legacies in the world.

Here are some of my photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18241051@N00/sets/72157607459020390/

Last time I was there was for a wedding in the Spring. They had definitely cleared out many portions of the site in preparation for what looked to be either excavation, or at the very least parking. The blast furnaces and most of the structures still remain. There have been significant condo and multi use development surrounding the site tho that started when I was attending school and is now complete.