The Lehigh Portland Cement Company

The Lehigh Portland Cement Company was originally known as the Great Lakes Portland Cement Company. The plant was constructed in 1925 on a 23 acre site adjacent to Lake Erie and the Union Ship Canal. The plant employed over 250 people, and had a production capacity of 7,000 barrels of cement a day. The Lehigh Portland Cement Company acquired the plant in 1941. , During World War II, cement production at the plant was reduced sharply, as the plant produced large quantities of lime in support of the U.S. Government's war efforts. After the war, cement production increased, with the plant employing over 150 workers on six-days-a-week overtime schedules. To keep up with demand, the company constructed 24 additional cement storage silos in 1956. These new silos were capable of holding 360,000 barrels of cement, and allowed for faster loading onto railroad cars and trucks. , In 1970, a weakened economy combined with high material and labor costs forced the plant to close. The production plant has since been demolished, and the remaining silos are used solely for storage and distribution. , View of the Lehigh Portland Cement Company, 1958. The production plant is on the right. The Hanna Furnce Company and Union Ship Canal can be seen in the background. , The Lehigh Portland Cement Company, circa 1958. The newly constructed silos are on the right.