Richard Molchany, Lehigh County's director of general services, visited Coplay with a host of supporters to talk about the Saylor Cement Kilns.

The June 17 meeting was a continuation of an earlier meeting where Molchany indicated the county was interested in coordinating efforts to get the kilns recognized and preserved as a historical artifact.

Molchany introduced Frank Matero to the gathering. Matero is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and specializes in preserving and restoring industrial artifacts with an emphasis on brickmaking and cement facilities.

"These manufacturing centers used to be local and served a hundred-mile radius," Matero said. "The local plants have disappeared as the industry consolidated and transportation improved."

Cory Kegerise from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission attended the event as well.

"We have not seen an emphasis on the cement industry and the historical importance it has to the state," he said.

Ed Pany agreed with Kegerise. Pany runs the Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum in Northampton, the only one in the country.

"We had people come over from China to see what we have here," Pany said.

There is interest in preserving the historical connection with the industry.

The kilns at Coplay's Saylor Park are unique. They are the only remaining examples of the Shoefer Vertical Kiln. The nine kilns of the Coplay Cement Company were state of the art when they were built in 1892. By 1904, horizontal rotary kilns replaced their vertical cousins.

Lehigh County commissioned the latest study of the kilns. The county selected Spillman Farmer Architects, Bethlehem, who prepared an extensive review. The architects estimated a multi-million-dollar project to preserve the kilns.

Matero and his assistant Preston Hall took Coplay Mayor Joseph Bundra up on his offer to tour the kilns. Matero's analysis was less severe than that of the architects.

According to Matero's observation, the wythe has been broken, which has caused much of the damage. The wythe is a layer of brick laid as a structural component. There is usually more than one wythe and the wythes are tied together. The telltale mark of brick-joining walls is a row of brick that shows the narrow end. Most brick used in buildings today is veneer and is not structural.

A look at a deteriorated section of a kiln shows multiple layers of brick. The differing layers performed specified tasks. The exterior layer was the protective layer. The interior layer was generally fire brick designed to take the heat of the furnace that allowed limestone and silica along with other components to be turned into Portland cement. The clumps that dropped out of the furnace were clinkers, which were then pulverized to produce the fine dust known as Portland cement.

"They aren't going to fall down like some people are saying," Pany said.

Matero agreed with Pany, although he noted having a couple of naturally deteriorating kilns has appeal to visitors.

Lou Jany, of Essroc, attended the meeting. Jany has been involved with the kilns' preservation effort for decades. With Matero's help, there may be a way to preserve enough of the kilns to tell the story of this historical aspect of the cement industry.

The kilns were not meant to be exposed to the weather. When they were in full operation, they were housed in a building.

Robert Stiffler, with the Lehigh County parks system, at one time operated a museum at the kilns. The museum was not properly constructed and ultimately damaged by water infiltration. Project planners want to make sure that future improvements do not suffer the same fate.

The question remains: Can all nine of the existing kilns be saved?

Lehigh County has the backing of Coplay to move the project forward. Councilmen Stephen Burker, Charles Sodl and Carl Luckenbach joined Bundra to show their support.

The project needs funding to move forward. The county has limited funds available, and the state may be able to throw in more money. None of the anticipated funds from government sources will be enough to preserve much of the existing kilns.

More meetings are planned. The county has some funding for the project. Molchany wants to determine if concrete companies are interested in supporting the effort.