This week, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) announced their Taking the World Stage capital campaign. $6.25 million of their $7.25 million goal has already been fundraised, and the organization is pushing for the remainder of those funds, which are being used to renovate their downtown historic properties.
Buildings under HBMS’ care include the 1744 Single Sisters’ House, 1761 Tannery, 1762 Waterworks, and the 1741 Gemeinhaus; the oldest building in Bethlehem. These are just some of the twenty buildings and properties they maintain.
Over the past three years, HBMS has used funding from their Taking the World Stage campaign to restore buildings’ windows, doors, shutters, floors, HVAC systems and more. They’ve also been able to develop and open the Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe on Main Street.
The remaining $1 million will be used to complete a major project at the 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House, which includes rotating exhibitions, a shop for locally handmade works, educational programming space, and a display offering a panoramic view of the Colonial Industrial Quarter. They call this project the Overlook on History.
All renovations being completed are done using environmentally friendly and energy-efficient practices, as well as best practices in historic restoration.
HBMS President and CEO LoriAnn Wukitsch said the campaign and renovation projects are about more than just preserving history; they’re about showing stories of Bethlehem’s history to the Lehigh Valley’s next generation.
Those interested in learning more about the Taking the World Stage campaign can visit historicbethlehem.org.
