The National Park Service has awarded $669,300 to support a three-year project focused on preserving Bethlehem’s historic 1761 Tannery and addressing invasive vegetation through the city’s Colonial Industrial Quarter.
The tannery has been closed to the public for 22 years due to damage resulting from water infiltration. The building originally processed hides for Bethlehem’s colonial economy and later produced leather goods during the American Revolution, helping to supply the Continental Army.
The grant will fund the third phase of ongoing preservation work, focused on the building’s historic stone walls. A final phase will address heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and electrical improvements, with the goal of eventually reopening the space to the public.
Funding will also support efforts to remove Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant that threatens several historic structures in the area. A mitigation plan will be established and native vegetation will be planted to prevent the weed from returning.
The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor will lead the project and administer the federal grant, working in partnership with Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites and the City of Bethlehem.
The tannery is the world’s only surviving 18th-century Moravian industrial building. It’s part of Bethlehem’s UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its international significance in global Moravian heritage.
The grant is provided through the National Park Service’s Semiquincentennial Grant Program, which supports historic resources associated with America’s founding.
