LOCK RIDGE FURNACE MUSEUM

CLIENT
The County of Lehigh

LOCATION
Alburtis, Pennsylvania

STRUCTURE
The Lock Ridge Furnace was constructed in 1868 in Alburtis, PA during the peak of the anthracite iron industry, and was operated by the Thomas Iron Co.  At its height, the Thomas Iron Co. operated ten furnaces in and around our site.  This remnant is what remains of Furnace No. 7 and its immediately adjoining sheds and feeder mills.  Operations ended in 1921 and the property passed through several hands until it finally settled with the Commissioners of Lehigh County. The site was restored as a park and museum in the early 1970s. The Lock Ridge complex is one of only two remaining furnaces of the many that were in operation in central and eastern Pennsylvania in 1876. 

CHALLENGE
S. Harris & Co. was retained by the County of Lehigh in April 2008 to conduct a Feasibility Study on Lock Ridge Furnace No. 7, located in Alburtis, Pennsylvania.  The study is to consist of a structural conditions assessment leading in turn to a historic resource stabilization, preservation, and strategic project analysis and recommendation report.

SCOPE OF SERVICE
  • Survey and assess the existing condition of the furnace with specific attention to the issue of water infiltration.
  • Provide a preservation plan and repair recommendations.

SOLUTION

  • We found that the Lock Ridge Furnace has suffered significant damage and continues to be threatened by water infiltrating the masonry.  The source of the water is rain.  Our investigation shows that the infiltration is primarily due to the sloping configuration of the walls combined with the inherently porous nature of the materials. 
  • It is our conclusion that the preferred solution to the problem is the construction of a shield to intercept the water before it reaches the surface of Furnace No.7.

HISTORIC STATUS
Lock Ridge Furnace has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since September 1981.