Catasauqua in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Crane Iron Works
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 5, 2015
1. Crane Iron Works Marker
The first long-term, commercially successful anthracite iron furnace opened July 4, 1840, here in Catasauqua. Built for the Lehigh Crane Iron Co. by David Thomas, it soon made 50-60 tons of pig iron a week. By 1868 the works had six furnaces; production ceased, 1930.
Erected 1997 by Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 4, 1840.
Location. 40° 39.192′ N, 75° 28.476′ W. Marker is in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, in Lehigh County. It is at the intersection of Front Street and Bridge Street, on the left when traveling north on Front Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 90 Front Street, Catasauqua PA 18032, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania and in Lehigh Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: David Thomas (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bryden Horse Shoe Works (approx. 0.3 miles away); Biery's Port (approx. half a mile away); Dery Silk Mill (approx. half a mile away); Davies and Thomas Company (approx. half a mile away);
this page online
More about this marker. The marker used to be on Front Street between Church and Wood Streets, but has since been relocated to the intersection of Front and Bridge Streets.
Also see . . . MarkerQuest - Crane Iron Works. (Submitted on April 26, 2023, by Laura Klotz of Northampton, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 5, 2015
2. Crane Iron Works Marker
Photographed by Omaira Serrano-Rosa, February 21, 2025
3. Crane Iron Works
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 5, 2015
4. Catasauqua Downtown Business District Banner
Catasauqua, Penna.-The Iron Borough
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 5, 2015
5. Crane Iron Works-Former Factory yard
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 5, 2015
6. Crane Iron Works-Former Factory Yard
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 5, 2015
7. Crane Iron Works-Former Factory Yard
Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 737 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on May 3, 2023, by Laura Klotz of Northampton, Pennsylvania. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 12, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 3. submitted on February 21, 2025, by Omaira Serrano-Rosa of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on July 12, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
