On October 16, Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites (HBMS) will be honored with the Construction Award for Rehabilitation Projects from Preservation Pennsylvania, the state’s nonprofit celebrating outstanding preservation work. The award will recognize the work done by HBMS and their team of construction partners on the 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House.
Located next to the Luckenbach Mill just off of Old York Road, the Grist Miller’s House is part of Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter. Built in 1782 and expanded in 1834, it’s listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
The building housed the city’s mill operator and his family from the 1830s to the 1970s. It was eventually closed in the 2000s due to structural concerns. For a time, it was surrounded by a scrapyard.
In 2024, HBMS launched a major restoration project that included replacing the steel stabilization beams, repairing and painting of molding and windows, and installing a wood shingle roof.
HBMS completed the project with the help of partners like Artefact Inc., Lock Ridge Engineering, Alan Kunsman Roofing and Siding, and many others. Much of the funding for the restoration was secured by State Representative Steve Samuelson and State Senator Lisa Boscola, with other funds provided through private donations and fundraising efforts.
The Grist Miller’s House was reopened in April and now offers exhibitions on 18th and 19th century industry, as well as serving as the gateway to Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter.
