page_title: Colonial Industrial Quarter (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
section_title: The Tannery
hierarchical_section_title: Colonial Industrial Quarter (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) / Historic structures and ruins / The Tannery
caption_attribution_description: This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 72001131
context_page_description: The Colonial Industrial Quarter of Bethlehem, PA is considered America's earliest industrial park. Established by the colonial Moravians along the banks of the Monocacy Creek, the ten acre site contains historic buildings such as the 1762 Waterworks, 1761 Tannery, 1869 Luckenbach Mill, 1748/1834 Gristmiller's House, reconstructed 1764 Springhouse and 1750 Smithy, as well as ruins of the original 1749 Pottery, 1752 Butchery, 1765 Oil Mill, and 1771 Dye House. This location was chosen to take advantage of a spring that supplied potable water and the power supplied by the Monocacy Creek's flow for the craftsmen and trades of early Bethlehem.
  The Colonial Industrial Quarter is part of the Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District which was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 2012 and later named to the U.S. Tentative List in 2016 for nomination to the World Heritage List. The Colonial Industrial Quarter is also known as the location of several annual events and festivals including the Historic Turkey Trot 5K, Musikfest, and Celtic Classic.
context_section_description: The Tannery was originally built as a small log structure in 1743 along the east side of the Grist Mill (today Luckenbach Mill) tail race. As the community grew, so did the tanning operation, and a larger, more permanent stone structure was built on the west side of the tail race in 1761. Leather was both an important material and a valuable commodity in early Bethlehem, making the need for the tannery all the greater. By the 1760s the colonial Moravians processed 1000-2000 animal hides at the Tannery annually and produced a large variety of leather products such as clothing, shoes, harnesses, and machinery parts. The Tannery was operated by the Moravians until 1829 and tanning ceased in 1873 due to the rising price of tanbark. The building was then used for various operations and eventually deteriorated to the point of becoming a tenement house surrounded by a junk yard. It was restored between 1968–1971.
caption: View of Tannery at Colonial Industrial Quarter, Bethlehem, PA
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