Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum, the only museum in the United States honed to retain the legacy of Universal Atlas Cement Company, whose Northampton plant produced cement for the Empire State Building, Panama Canal and other great landmarks, drew 2,740 visitors in 2015.

Visitors from abroad came from India, Malaysia, Germany and three provinces from Canada. They join visitors from previous years who came from China, Mexico, Austria, England and other countries.

The roster for this year reflects visitors from 14 states: Missouri, Maine, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Michigan, Arizona, Vermont, Iowa, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

There were 1,784 students and teachers that toured the Laubach Avenue, Northampton, museum, along with 956 other persons.

The museum’s staff, led by Curator Ed Pany, provided programming assistance to many civic and historical organizations this year, such as assisting residents of Martins Creek in recognizing the men, who in 1942, died at a quarry blast at Lehigh Portland Cement. The museum’s staff presented a program for Martins Creek residents and helped raise thousands of dollars for a memorial paying tribute to the workers who perished at the quarry.

He also had a significant role in the organization and design of the new Northampton Area Middle School, which focused on the local cement heritage in the area.

Pany helped to design and provide memorabilia used to implement three large murals and displays depicting the Atlas heritage and collected dozens of current cement bags displayed in the school hallways.

A major highlight at the museum was Portland Cement Association, based at Skokie, Ill., spending three days making a film at the museum, the middle school and the Saylor Cement Kilns in Coplay. A video is to be shown in 2016 in Las Vegas citing the organization’s 100th anniversary.

The museum, which has artifacts on display from the present five operating cement companies and those closed, added new artifacts and equipment to its collection this year: flags from visitors from Germany and India; an Indian good luck symbol; artifacts from Whitehall Cement; an ink well and a safety helmet from Lehigh Portland; old and new cement bags; numerous photos of the cement industry; and an old sewing machine station – on loan from the middle school – used to repair and sew cloth cement bags from the Pritchard family.

Another project was digitizing issues of Cement News using a Northampton County hotel grant. Computer flash drives were presented to local libraries, the high school and an area historical society.

Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum in 2015 has received the continued financial support of the museum. They are Essroc, Lafarge, Keystone, Lehigh Portland and Buzzi Unicem.

The museum pays tribute to workers from the five plants. Throughout the year, some workers appeared in articles in The Press, receiving a framed copy of the article and a plaque.

The museum is open twice monthly on Sunday afternoons from spring through fall and for special group tours.