Postcard of the President Pump, Friedensville, PA Zinc Mine

Society for Industrial Archeology

OLIVER EVANS CHAPTER presents

The President Pump & its Cornish Pump House

at the Friedensville Zinc Mine

an Illustrated Lecture by Mark W. Connar

It is well known that Bethlehem, PA is the home of the first municipal water pumping system in the United States. A replica of this machine is located in its original stone building in Historic Bethlehem’s Industrial Quarter. Much less known is that, little more than a century later, the largest stationary water pumping engine in the Americas was erected only a few miles away at a mine in the Upper Saucon Township village of Friedensville. This engine, renowned at the time as The President Pump, was designed and constructed by Cornish engineers using time tested old world technical know-how coupled with American manufacturing talent. Although not publicly accessible, the remnants of this machine still exist today.

Mark W. Connar’s presentation will provide us with a view of this fascinating early equipment and its special connections to the 19th century Philadelphia business community. Mr. Connar is a retired businessman with an AB degree in anthropology from Brown University (1972) with post graduate study in archaeology at the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania. He has participated in archaeological surveys in the United States and the United Kingdom. He also holds an MBA degree from Lehigh University (1984). He is on the Board of Trustees, Historic Bethlehem Partnership and is a Founding Member of the National Museum of Industrial History. He is also a member of SIA.

Date: Monday, October 16, 2017

Time: 5:30 Refreshments     6:15 Program

Cost: $10 per person if pre-registered.     $15 if not reserved in advance

Place: Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center

           You can park in the Circle, closer to the FWWIC

Registration: E-mail names and phone numbers of members and guests to

           larry.deyoung@verizon.net or phone Larry at 610-293-9098