Last of Their Kind

Last of Their Kind. . , "For more than 100 years, the Saylor kilns have stood , as red-bricked sentinels, protecting Coplay's ties to the , cement industry that gave it life." , Sarah M. Wojcik , The Morning Call, THE ORIGINS OF THE SAYLOR KILNS , These are the world's only remaining continuous-firing vertical cement kilns, also known as "Schoefer" kilns. They were the last major innovation in vertical kiln technology when they were constructed as Coplay Cement's Mill B in 1892. The kilns operated for only a decade; as demand for portland cement soared, the industry adopted the even more efficient and productive horizontal rotary kiln. The Schoefer kilns were shut down about 1904, and Mill B was converted to a bagging house; the continued use of the building surrounding the kilns was probably one key to their preservation., Successful cement plants like Coplay frequently demolished old structures as the industry's technology improved. In 1951, the kilns were scheduled to be torn down, but instead were shortened by 40 feet for safety reasons. Lehigh County created Saylor Park in 1976 in part to ensure the preservation of these symbols of Coplay's cement heritage, but much restoration is still needed., [Lower left photo caption reads] , Historic American Engineering Record, Creator, et al., photographer by Lowe, Jet. Coplay Cement Company, Lehigh County, PA. Documentation Compiled After Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress