The Foundry Building was constructed in 1882 using dark red sandstone quarried locally from the north side of French Creek. It was designed by Amory Coffin, then chief engineer at the Phoenix Iron Company. Inside, castings were produced for use by the Phoenix Iron and Steel Company and the Phoenix Bridge Company as ancillary parts needed for their products. Two large core ovens once stood in the 8,000 square foot center section, where all molding and casting took place. Iron trusswork designed for bridge construction and manufactured at the mill supports the roof of the 14,000 square foot building. Four large cranes were used to move sand molds and heavy castings, and one restored crane, believed to be the oldest surviving wooden crane in the U.S.A., can be seen at the Schuylkill River Heritage Center in the Foundry Building.
