OLDEST - Steel Mill in Commission w/in the United States - Coatesville, PA - Superlatives on Waymarking.com

The steel company has changed hands of recent years, which has actually benefited the Graystone Society (local historic district) in their efforts to restore the properties to their formal glory and educated visitors to the history of the Steel industry. Bethlehem Steel bought Lukens in 1997 for $400 million in cash and stock. In 2003, International Steel Group Inc (ISG) bought Bethlehem for $1.5 billion. The following year ISG was bought out by Mittal Steel for $4.5 billion. In 2006 Mittal Steel and Arcelor merged to make a steel company three times the size of any other steel company for $33.6 billion. From 2006 until the present the name has remained the same. The most important thing in all of the transferring and buying is this Mill has been in continuous operation since the early 1800s!

My pals from Wikipedia report that:

Lukens is the oldest steel mill in commission within the United States. In 1995 it was one of the three largest producers of plate steel and the largest domestic manufacturer of alloy-plate. It is ranked fourth out of 24 public steel corporations in profitability earning 14.8% equity five years in a row. The company produces carbon, alloy, and clad steel plates along with stainless steel sheets, strips, plates, hot bands, and slabs.

Isaac Pennock established The Federal Slitting Mill in 1793 on Buck Run, a stream about four miles south of Coatesville, Pennsylvania. After receiving a loan in 1810, Pennock went into a partnership with Jesse Kersey to form Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory. Kersey’s father-in-law was Moses Coates, a member of the founding family of Coatesville. After seven years as partners, Pennock bought Kersey’s share of the business and then leased it to his son-in-law, Dr. Charles Lloyd Lukens. The following year the mill became the first in the United States to produce boilerplates and soon joined the shipbuilding industry. In 1818, Lukens produced the iron for the first iron-hull vessel in the United States. SOURCE

I love walking around this small area. I especially liked the interpretives. This is a very small, esoteric historic district which would normally be only fully understood and appreciated by a very specific cross-section of people. The Walking Tour Project / interpretive program located here successfully incorporates technical information and jargon into an accessible history lesson for Lukens' visitors. The interpretives are very organized and planted right in front of the contributing structure to which they refer. The background is well-landscaped, green and beautiful. Simply put, there is a lot to learn here, not just about the district but about the Steel business in America. You won't be bored. Allow up to two hours for the full tour. Be sure to go inside the Executive Offices building and read up on everything first before visiting.

The posted coordinates are for the Executive Offices, the beginning of the walking tour and where you want to park your car.