Portland Cement
Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
This industry was born in \ the Lehigh Valley. David O. \ Saylor firt made portland \ cement at Coplay in 1871. \ Here also was the first use \ of the rotary kiln process \ commercially Nov. 8, 1889. \ This region has continued \ to lead in the industry.
The Story
In the rolling limestone country of the Lehigh Valley, a new American building material was born. In 1871 David O. Saylor began producing portland cement at Coplay, and by November 1889 the region pioneered the commercial use of the rotary kiln — a continuous-process furnace that turned cement-making from a slow batch craft into true industrial mass production. The valley's rich cement rock and rail links let the industry take root and dominate, supplying the mortar and concrete of a rapidly modernizing nation.
Why it matters
The portland cement perfected here became the literal foundation of modern America — its dams, highways, skyscrapers, and sidewalks — making the Lehigh Valley a quiet but pivotal cradle of the nation's industrial and building age.
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Related people
- · David O. Saylor
Related events
- · First commercial use of the rotary kiln cement process (November 8, 1889)
Themes & tags
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