First Cement
Whitehall, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
David O. Saylor was the first to make portland cement in the United States, at Coplay in 1871. First use of the rotary kiln to manufacture cement on a commercial scale also was here Nov. 8, 1889.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
At Coplay in 1871, David O. Saylor produced the first portland cement made in the United States, freeing American builders from reliance on imported European product. Less than two decades later, in November 1889, the same locale saw the first commercial use of the rotary kiln — a breakthrough that let cement be manufactured continuously and at scale. These innovations turned the Lehigh Valley into the heart of the young nation's cement industry.
Why it matters
The birth of American portland cement here supplied the essential material for the roads, bridges, and skyscrapers that would define the nation's modern built landscape.
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Related people
- · David O. Saylor
Related events
- · First U.S. portland cement, 1871
- · First commercial rotary kiln, 1889
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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