Birdsboro, PA: 1740 Birdsboro Steel Foundry and Armorcast

Steel Mill: (Satellite, the buildings have been repurposed)

Tank Production: (Satellite, the site has been repurposed)

"During World War II, the government expressed an interest in acquiring steel for the U.S. Navy from The Birdsboro Steel Foundry and Machine Company. In response to winning this contract, this large steel mill was constructed in 1944, consisting of nine massive bays reaching up to 1,480 feet long and 50 feet high. Soon, the role of the plant shifted to manufacturing tanks for the Army, and the name of the plant was known as Armorcast. Sherman and Patton model tanks were the main product of the plant from World War II through the Korean War. In 1975, Armorcast failed to win a government contract to continue production, and the plant was closed in 1988 after a lengthy strike." [opacity] (Today, tanks are made in just Lima, OH.)

Birdsboro of Yesterday posted

Another great aerial photo of Birdsboro!   Maybe taken by Manfred von Richthofen??   Love seeing the…

1.  Steel RR Bridge

2. Brickyard (Reading Roasters is today)

3. The crazy old intersection where 

     Turkey Hill is today

4. Furnace 3

5.  all the trains

6.  the tennis courts (Sunoco Station)

7.   The American House Hotel

[The canal is the current location of PA-724. The factory in the upper-right corner is the Brooke Furnace #3.]
James Torgeson posted
Birdsboro Foundry.
John Simpkins: At one time they had a huge melt and casting capacity with all the different EAF and Induction furnaces they were running.

3D Satellite

Gregory D. Pawelski commented on Birdsboro of Yesterday's post
From the other direction on February 7, 1931. (Dallin Aerial Survey Company)

Reading Railroad had tracks on both sides of the Schuylkill River and Pennsy ran along the south side of the river. This also shows the route of the abandoned Schuylkill Canal to the west of town.

1947 Birdsboro Quad @ 24,000

Street View

The most recent Global Earth image that had the tank manufacturing buildings.

Global Earth, Oct 2011

opacity-press, 1 of 3 historic photos
"This 8,000-ton hydraulic press, largest of its kind in the world, was designed and built by Birdsboro to enable a leading aircraft company to speed output of larger, individual parts. (via"

The four large smokestacks of Armorcast that you see in some photos were on the southwest side of the building.

Google Earth, Oct 2008

The oldest foundary in the USA reopened in Jul 1991. "The foundry, which can produce 5,000 tons of steel a month, will cast ingots in its initial phase. But with the capability of manufacturing steel castings as heavy as 180,000 pounds, the largest in the country, plans are to make castings for nuclear power plants, ships and other heavy equipment used in the cement and mining industries." [mcall]

Three images from MyCompanies. This site also provides details about its corporate history and product lines.

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2

3

"Birdsboro Steel Foundry and Machine Company traces its beginnings back to 1740 when William Bird built a forge, a saw mill and grist mill and founded the town of  Birdsboro. His oldest son, Marcus, enlarged on his father’s work and constructed Hopewell Furnace. He was the largest producer of iron in America during the Revolutionary War." [BerksHistoryMysteries]