The Lukens Mill - Early 1900s - Coatesville, PA
N 39° 58.860 W 075° 49.382
18S E 429726 N 4425972
Another terrific interpretive at the Lukens Historic District. This marker gives keen insight into the early lifeblood of this business - its hearths & mills. The marker is a compliment for this contributing structure in front of it which is stand.
Waymark Code: WMDBFE
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 12/19/2011
Views: 2
A tour of this company/historic district will demonstrate what an early 20th century steel mill looked like. The area is remarkably preserved thanks in part to the Graystone Society and the mill still being in active use.
There are a series of these markers scattered throughout this small historic district, especially in front of all the contributing structures, including this one. The markers are the standard interpretives, held horizontally, thick black, frame, tilted for good viewing and maybe 3 or 4 feet off the ground. The plant housing the mill equipment and referenced in the interpretive is 350 feet from South 1st Street. The interpretive is 250 feet from South 1st Street and exactly 75 feet from northern most corner of the first facilities building/plant to the immediate left of the executive offices. The mill plant is rather long, about 424 feet long. The marker faces the mill building.
The top left the marker bears a map of the mill site in 1910. Next to that, at the top center, are two pictures, one on top of the other. The top picture is a photo of the Lukens office staff - Circa 1895. Beneath that is a photo of the 206" rolling mill. The bottom left contains a long, panoramic shot of the mills, circa 1919. Finally, the bottom right illustrates the open hearth furnace tap.
The marker reads:
In 1891 Lukens installed its first two open hearth furnaces which were then quickly upgraded and complemented by four new 35-tons for a total of six. Lukens poured its first heat of steel on February 25, 1892. In 1899 a 48" Universal mill was added. It could roll plates 8" wide to 48" wide with lengths of 100'. Also in 1899, Open Hearth #2 plant was built, adding six 50-ton furnaces for a total of 12.
In 1903 another rolling mill was put into operation, larger than any of its predecessors at that time, with rolls 140" long, making the widest plates of any mill in the country. It also had four furnaces and the capability of shearing plates 2' thick. In 1904 the 134" mill was reduced t the 112" mill with rolls 36" in diameter. It could then roll plates 108" wide. About 1904-1905, Lukens added four more 50-ton furnaces to Open Hearth #2 for a total of 16.
In 1916 Lukens built its 204" rolling mill and then enlarged it to 206" in 1918, giving Lukens the distinction for many years of having the world's largest plate mill. It is a four-high rolling mil, with two working rolls 34" in diameter that directly contact the plate. Reinforcing those are two back-up rolls 50" in diameter. This mill has eight gas-fired furnaces keeping the plates hot during rolling. It is still in operation today.
In 1918 Open Hearth Shop #3 was built, between the #2 shop and Main St., containing eight 100-ton Open Hearth furnaces for a plant total of 24.