BETHLEHEM, Pa. (WFMZ) — A Bethlehem organization dedicated to preserving the history of industry in our region, recently acquired a new property.
For 11 years, the Industrial Archives and Library in Bethlehem has collected historic documents and has been running out of space to store them all.
“We started out basically being a regional archives. That was our approach, however, things drastically started to changes to a nationwide approach,” said Steve Donches, president and CEO of IAL.
Donches told 69 News, over the last decade they’ve gotten donations of historic artifacts from as far away as Hawaii and everywhere in between.
“Things started to grow a lot faster than you would expect,” Donches stated.
Now, they have a new home base to store documents, grow their collection and educate others about industrial history.
“We’re not only preserving historic records, we’re going to great extent to preserve the land here and the property. It’s a beautiful piece of property,” Donches said.
Their new property consists of 62 acres on Santee Mill Road. Land, once owned by the first mayor of Bethlehem and former president of Bethlehem Steel Company, Archibald Johnston.
Seven buildings currently sit on the site, including a 1927 Tudor-Style main house and a farmhouse dating back to 1775.
Donches said the IAL will use all buildings and they have plans to build an 8th.
The property will host oral histories, those who wish to conduct research and will provide them with a place to stay for the night.
Corporate headquarters will be located at an adjacent building with a nearby barn to be used as storage. The 1775 farmhouse in the heart of all the structures will be where the caretaker will live on site.
“We’re ecstatic. It’s really been the, even as recent as the last week and a half, we’ve had major contacts about really significant holdings by a couple of organizations,” Donches concluded.
The IAL plans to be fully moved into the property next year.