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Interested in hands-on, heavy-duty industrial history?  Join the Lackawanna Historical Society on Wednesday evening, May 22 at 7 p.m. for “Monster-Sized History: Reviving a Giant Stationary Steam Engine,” a program by Mike Piersa of the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem. The program will be held at the Catlin House, 232 Monroe Avenue, Scranton.

The program will focus on the restoration and rebirth of a particular piece of equipment by the National Museum of Industrial History, with a demonstration of a smaller-scale model in the collection of the Lackawanna Historical Society. Mr. Piersa, who recently worked on the restoration of the most powerful operating waterworks steam engine in the United States, will illustrate how this 35-foot long, 115-ton steam powered water pumping engine was transformed from a rusting hulk to a museum centerpiece. The nine-year project of relocating and restoring the engine will be detailed, showing how traditional skills and modern technology are coming together to bring the engine back to life for a public debut in June 2019.  The program will also include a live-action demonstration of a model steam engine from the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Company in the Society’s collection!

An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute, the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pa., is dedicated to preserving America’s rich industrial heritage. It is located in a 100-year-old former Bethlehem Steel facility on the largest private brownfield in America. The museum houses over 200 artifacts from across the world, telling the tale of America’s industrial might and the evolution of industry over time.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact the Lackawanna Historical Society at 570-344-3841 or email lackawannahistory@gmail.com.

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Founded in 1886 as the Lackawanna Institute of History and Science, the Lackawanna Historical Society provides the community with a record of local history through its museum and library collections, exhibits and programs. In 1942, from the bequest of George H. Catlin the Society established its permanent home at Catlin’s 1912 residence, located at 232 Monroe Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1965 Lackawanna County designated the Lackawanna Historical Society as the official county historical society and the Society continues to serve the county as a center for local history resources.