Spring Mill
Connecting past and present
History
Spring Mill of Conshohocken has a rich and storied history of innovation and industry in our area. It started in 1887 as the first factory for the Lee Tire and Rubber Company, which was a pillar of American manufacturing until the 1980s. The main building of Lee's Tire and Rubber Co. was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The property has been taken over by new ownership, who have a ton of pride in the history and legacy of the campus. Caliber was approached by the property manager, Heather Reed, to enhance the look of the new Visitor Center. Heather and her team have been dedicated to enhancing the overall look of the Spring Mill campus while maintaining and highlighting the property's rich history. From interior to exterior she and the ownership group have a tremendous ability to make drastic changes appear classic and timeless as if they were always part of the development plan. The newly renovated areas display a unique combination of the history of the factory, utilizing murals and tire-themed art to give historical context while providing a modern touch.
EXCAVATION & PRESERVATION
Caliber's goal was to find a way to connect the exterior of the building to the story and history of the property, and the design of the visitor center inside. During the maintenance of the property, a railroad bumper from the original Lee Tire Factory was discovered on the property. The stop piece was used in an underground mine to transport the black dye and coloring for the rubber tires. Lee Tire and Rubber Company held such an important place in the infrastructure of American manufacturing, the factory was connected to a major railway for distribution throughout the country.As such, we wanted to preserve the artifact from the storied past of the property, as well as forge a connection between the design of the visitors center and the outside landscape design. We used a crane truck from Arader Tree Service to move and position the railroad bumper onto a truck, shifting it to the front of the building where the Caliber team dug tracks for the bumper to sit adjacent to the entrance. After a significant amount of maneuvering the artifact was finally able to be set in place.
FINAL PRODUCT
After excavating and maneuvering the railroad stop into place in the upper courtyard by the visitor's entrance, we fabricated lengths of track and dug trenches to lay track and make it appear as if the stop piece had always been in place. We also fabricated custom metal chairs that had tire tracks through the chairsThe hard work and dedication of the Caliber team, a vision for the property and landscaping strategy, and the collaboration between everyone involved enabled us to preserve an important piece of our history while creating a new experience at the new Spring Mill Campus. Please check out the video below to see the Caliber team excavating and installing the railroad stop, as well as a few stills of the final result. If you're in the area, stop by and check out Spring Mill today!
Featured Team Member
Moira Phillips
Director of Human Resources
