Preservation Is the Mission of the Archives – For Both Its Collections and Property
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Industrial Archives & Library (IAL) announced today that it had received a significant donation of property on Santee Mill Road in Bethlehem, Pa. Stephen G. Donches, President & CEO, affirmed IAL’s commitment to its non-profit mission to preserve for education and research a broad collection of historical industrial records saying, “We are carefully planning to adapt our strategic mission as an archives for the best use of the property in harmony with its surrounding environment.” Donches went on to say, “The property with its multiple buildings presents an extraordinary opportunity to further the mission of IAL, while preserving the history of the site that was owned by Archibald Johnston, the first Mayor of the City of Bethlehem, and the one-time President of Bethlehem Steel Company, under founder, Charles M. Schwab.”
“Donation of the property and the preservation plans IAL has for it will secure the natural quality and beauty of the site, while saving its lands for generations to come.”
Kenneth R. Smith, IAL Board of Trustees Chairman and Former Mayor of the City of Bethlehem
The 62-acre property, donated to IAL by S. H. Cumings, is located on the north slope of Camel’s Hump along Santee Mill Road in the City of Bethlehem, and includes eight structures, most notable of which are a 1927 Tudor-style Main House, a 1775 Farmhouse, two Barns, Stables and several other buildings. The vast majority of the site is composed of wooded forest land and greenspace that, in accordance with deed covenants, will essentially remain in its natural state and undisturbed in perpetuity. Originally, part of Mr. Johnston’s large Camel’s Hump Estate that straddled both sides of the Monocacy Creek, the IAL property has been operated by the Johnston family and subsequent owners as a working farm and gentleman’s estate for over a century.
The Chairman of IAL’s Board of Trustees, Kenneth R. Smith, noted that, “The property’s size, character and proximity to the Monocacy Creek make it one of the most important parcels in the City of Bethlehem composed of wooded forest land and greenspace. Donation of the property and the preservation plans IAL has for it will secure the natural quality and beauty of the site, while saving its lands for generations to come.” As a former mayor of Bethlehem, Smith said, “it’s especially meaningful to me that the IAL will be honoring our first mayor’s legacy with what we are planning there. Additionally, IAL’s stewardship of the property will result in a beautiful complement to other county and township park lands that have been established in Johnston’s honor on his former estate property north of Santee Mill Road,” he said.
“We can’t think of a better strategic use for this significant property,” continued former Mayor Smith. “Not only will the community benefit from a unique institutional asset in the form of a state-of-the-art archives, but the planned use of the property also checks off so many boxes in the City of Bethlehem’s Comprehensive Plan in the areas of Environmental Conservation, protection of Special Features Areas, including steep slopes, and the ecology of the Monocacy Creek by maintaining its irreplaceable recharge area on the mountainside,” he said.
“We are carefully planning to adapt our strategic mission as an archives for the best use of the property in harmony with its surrounding environment.”
Stephen G. Donches, IAL President & CEO
The Vision of IAL is to gradually relocate all of its archival operations at the Santee Mill Road facility. The existing structures on the property will have modified interiors to accommodate the specialized archival needs. However, essential to the continuing growth and longtime viability of the IAL, the organization is planning to construct an archival processing and preservation facility on the site that will be the headquarters of the Industrial Archives & Library’s daily operations. Designed and built to match the existing barn structure and color of the large Pennsylvania German-style bank barn on the site, the new structure would house archival activities that would be in harmony with the existing property. The proposed new layout will provide a complete archival program that otherwise would not be possible under existing facilities limitations.
“The outside of the new facility will look just like another barn on the property, but inside it will contain all the necessary features to operate a modern archives,” said Donches. “The overriding goal,” he concluded, “is that even after IAL’s modifications and improvements, the property will always retain the same look as it does today.”
The Archives celebrated its tenth anniversary on January 1st of this year and has seen its collections expand significantly in recent months. “We are grateful for this donation that over time will enable IAL to realize its vision of becoming one of the leading independent industrial archives in the country,” said Donches.
