Huber Coal Breaker
Ashley, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Erected by the Glen Alden Coal Co. in 1939, the breaker could process 7,000 tons of anthracite daily. It was among the first in the industry to utilize Menzies cones to separate coal from rock. An innovative aerial tramway disposed of waste by-products. Anthracite was sprayed with an iridescent chemical, to create Glen Alden's distinctive "Blue Coal." Operations ceased in 1976, following the decline of anthracite mining. It was demolished in 2014.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Rising over the anthracite fields of Luzerne County, the Huber Coal Breaker was built by the Glen Alden Coal Company in 1939 to crush, sort, and clean up to 7,000 tons of hard coal a day. It was among the first to use Menzies cones to separate coal from rock and an aerial tramway to haul off waste, and its product was famously dyed to market Glen Alden's trademarked "Blue Coal." When anthracite demand faded, the breaker shut down in 1976 and was demolished in 2014, closing a chapter in the region that once heated much of the nation.
Why it matters
The breaker embodies the anthracite era that powered American homes and industry and built the hard-coal communities of northeastern Pennsylvania.
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Themes & tags
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