SUMMER 2023 | 19 Mineralogy and Mining”—are now a part of Lehigh Libraries Special Collections, after Rock’s descendants donated his records. Rock’s survey assistant was Henry Sturgis Drinker, a Lehigh student pursuing a mining engineering degree without the benefit of a professor. He learned from working at the mine. His thesis remains an authoritative description of the plant, the mine and its operation. Drinker later became Lehigh’s fifth president. That the land would end up in the hands of Lehigh makes this story almost too good to be true. In 2012, Lehigh was the recipient of one of the most generous gifts in its history, the 755-acre donation from the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation. Donald Stabler received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1930 from Lehigh, then a master of science in 1932. As chairman and CEO of Stabler Companies, Inc., he developed the Stabler Corporate Center on the site, now Stabler Pathways. Stabler, who also served on Lehigh’s Board of Trustees and as president of the Alumni Association, has been one of Lehigh’s major benefactors. Embracing Opportunity All of this presents an extraordinary opportunity that Connar has embraced. He was interviewed by BBC radio after being named a Bard by Gorsedh Kernow, an organization founded in 1928 to preserve the culture of Cornwall, at a ceremony in Hayle, Cornwall, in 2022. The award was in recognition of his work to spread knowledge of The President Engine and his advocacy to repair the Engine House. To the Cornish and Cornish Americans, the Engine House holds significance as the only remaining example in the U.S. of the iconic symbol of their world-renowned heritage. Connar created a website dedicated to preserving the history of zinc mining in Friendensville that includes a section inviting readers to donate to a preservation fund established by Lehigh. Another collaborator, the National Museum of Industrial History in South Bethlehem, has on display a working scale model of the President Pumping Engine built and donated to the museum by Anthony Mount of Devon, England. Lehigh’s Commitment Kintzer says Lehigh supports the preservation mission for many reasons: As the largest landowner in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh has a responsibility to the community, both in terms of being good stewards of the land and meeting its obligation to preserve history. She says a park fits in with Stabler’s vision for the larger property, which is to enhance economic development of the region and promote good planning that benefits the community. “The site is significant to the township,” says Kintzer, “and we have a responsibility to be a good neighbor.” From an educational perspective, the opportunities are significant. Some students already explored the site as part of a Capstone Project, sponsored by Jerry Lennon, a Lehigh civil engineering professor emeritus, to create a plan for a heritage park. “As time goes on and we have more resources, other things will be identified that will continue to create educational benefits,” says Kintzer. While Lehigh is doing some fundraising to help preserve the site, Kintzer cautions “the university is not in the business of owning parks” and is unlikely to independently fund the project, which she envisions will cost “well into the seven figures.” As for a timeline, she says, “My idea of a realistic goal is within the next five years have the funds raised and the structure itself rehabbed.” Connar likes what he hears. “Lehigh has been a great partner in this whole thing in terms of trying to get us to a place to turn this property into a heritage park that can be broadly enjoyed,” he says. “As I see it, it’s a part of local and world heritage. We have an obligation to preserve it and people have a right to visit it because of that.” L Lehigh commissioned Spillman Farmer Architects to complete a rendering, above, of a restored site. At left is an original boiler that was recovered from a shuttered factory. Connar created a website at friedensvilleminesheritage.org. SCAN TO WATCH AN EPISODE OF THE PEAK TV ON THE PROJECT.
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