Coatesville in Chester County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Modern Mill

The Lukens National Historic District

Photographed by Eric Milask, August 31, 2011

1. The Modern Mill Marker

Inscription. In 1927 a new 84" mill was installed, replacing the old 84" mill of the 1870s. It could produce plates as thin as 1/8" and up to 72" wide. Also in 1927, Lukens formed the By-Products Steel Company, a subsidiary established to provide partial fabrication before shipment, using the techniques of shearing, flame cutting, bending and pressing. A second subsidiary, Lukenweld, was established in 1930. It was the first commercial weldery set up in America to specialize in the design & fabrication of steel plate structures by welding. In 1930, Lukens introduced clad plate, involving bonding two or more different types of metal. World War II brought expansion as Lukens, in partnership with the United States Navy, constructed the 120" mill. During the war, the 206" continued to turn out heavy armor plate for the military's needs. Lukens employees, called "Lukenites", topped 6,000 in 1943 and reached a record 6,166 in 1944. Women were brought in to work in the steel manufacturing divisions on October 1, 1942. 2,000 employees served in World War II, and 57 gave their lives. On March 27, 1942, Lukens was honored by the United States

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Navy with the Navy "E" Award for outstanding production achievement. In 1953, the United States Navy announced plans for building a new armor plate plant at Lukens. In 1957 ground was broken for a new steel making facility centering on a 100-ton electric furnace which would later be known as A Furnace. In 1958, a new 140" slabbing and roughing mill, known as the S&R Mill, was brought on line with its 9 soaking pits. A second 100-ton electric furnace, known as B Furnace, was built in 1962, followed in 1964 by a third furnace, C Furnace, with a 150-ton capacity. Lukens developed a computerized operator guide control system, the first to be applied to electric furnaces of this size. In 1970 the company completed construction of a strand casting facility which shortens the production of slabs by eliminating the pouring of molten steel in the molds to form ingots and then rolling the ingots into slabs. With the casting process, molten steel is run directly from the ladle into the casting machine, solidifying as it descends. In 1972 construction began on a fourth furnace, D Furnace, with a 150-ton capacity, upgraded to a capacity of 165 tons

View of the Marker in Front of the Parking Lot image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Eric Milask, August 31, 2011

2. View of the Marker in Front of the Parking Lot

in 1984. The Open Hearth furnaces were finally phased out of operation by 1975. In 1975 Lukens became the first steel company in the United States to receive national nuclear certification from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1978 Lukens purchased the 110" Rolling Mill formerly owned by the Alan Wood Steel Company in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Erected by Graystone Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1856.

Location. 39° 58.892′ N, 75° 49.4′ W. Marker is in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, in Chester County. It is on 50 South 1st Avenue 0.1 miles south of The Lincoln Highway (Pennsylvania Route 82), on the right when traveling south. The marker is located to the rear left of the main building, to the right of the walkway leading to the rear parking lot, stuck into the grass. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Coatesville PA 19320, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania and in Greater Philadelphia.

It is also in the American Northeast

and

Modern Mill Marker w/ Lukens Executive Offices in the Background image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Eric Milask, August 31, 2011

3. Modern Mill Marker w/ Lukens Executive Offices in the Background

The Lukens Office Building (seen in the background) is a contributing structure to the Lukens Historic District. The office building is well maintained and still is as beautiful today as it was when it was first constructed in 1902

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,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Making of the Trees (within shouting distance of this marker); 9/11 Tragedy (within shouting distance of this marker); The Return of the Trees (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Return of the Trees (within shouting distance of this marker); The Future of the Trees (within shouting distance of this marker); Arcelormittal Plate LLC World Trade Center (within shouting distance of this marker); The Lukens Mill - Early 1900s (within shouting distance of this marker); Lukens Executive Office Building (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Coatesville.

More about this marker. Photos of Robert W. Wolcott and Charles L. Huston, Jr., principal executives of the burgeoning steel business

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are located at the top left of the marker. The bottom left, features a map of the Coatesville office and plant facilities and a smaller map of the Conshohocken office and plant facilities. The bottom middle contains a birds eye view of the plant in the mid-1950s. The bottom right corner offers a look into a manufacturing area, giving a peek at a strand casting facility in action.

Also see . . .
1. NRHP nomination form for the Lukens Historic District. This is the official document submitted to the NPS for NRHP consideration complete with narratives and anecdotes for the history and all contributing structures to the historic district. (Submitted on December 17, 2011, by Eric Milask of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.)

2. Lukens Historic District - Official Site (locally maintained). Self-promoting website to engage and educate visitors and promote tourism. (Submitted on December 17, 2011, by Eric Milask of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 17, 2011, by Eric Milask of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 845 times since then and 23 times this year. Last updated on December 12, 2023, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 17, 2011, by Eric Milask of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.