Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites

Bob was born on a farm in Zionsville, grew up in Allentown and has been living in Fountain Hill for many years. After high school, he served in the US Navy and, while aboard ship, participated in the Cuban Missile Blockade. Throughout his years in the Navy, Bob corresponded with and later married his future wife, Judy, who would in later years work for the Historic Bethlehem Partnership. They recently celebrated 58 years of marriage and are very proud of their three very successful, talented children and three grandchildren. Their family has been very involved and dedicated to the Historic Bethlehem Partnership for many years. Bob has been employed by HBP for a total of 14 years; Judy worked as an administrative assistant/office manager for 19 years, and their daughter, Lea, has been a volunteer docent at the Kemerer Museum for seven years for a cumulative total of 40 years of service to HBP.

Bob began working at age 13 helping his father support their family by digging graves during a strike at the Bethlehem Steel. In later years, Bob was one of the first hired by the newly built Schaefer/Stroh Brewery in Fogelsville, where he worked for 30 years until forced into an early retirement when Pabst closed the brewery. While working full-time at the brewery he also ran his own aluminum siding/home improvement business working evenings and weekends. Years later, he gave up his siding business and invested in apartment buildings, owning, managing, remodeling and maintaining 24 apartments, again after work and on weekends. Somehow during his career, he managed to lead a Cub Scout den for several years and was a 25-year Musikfest volunteer. Although his only hobbies were work, work, work, he did own a fish and ski boat, which he and his family enjoyed for many years.

Sometime after his early retirement from the brewery, HBP moved their offices to the second floor of the Luckenbach Mill. However, the only kitchen facilities consisted of a wobbly old card table for a coffee pot and a large sink on the floor. After learning that the cabinets were being removed from the Nain House, Charlene acquired them for the Mill and Judy, our then Office Manager, volunteered her husband, Bob, to create a kitchen in a small room of the Mill. So, in just one weekend, Bob, with the help of his son-in-law, installed a new kitchen complete with a donated sink, small refrigerator and microwave. Staff members donated most of the essentials so the only thing HBP had to purchase was an inexpensive countertop. It was at this time that Charlene asked Bob if he would be interested in helping out for a “few hours a week”. This very quickly turned into 36 hours or more each week. He was on call 24/7 doing a multitude of maintenance jobs by day and responding to frequent alarms at night including one 2:00 AM alarm at Burnside that appeared to have been set off by a spider!

Using his own truck and tools, Bob promptly responded to staff requests for whatever needed to be done which included everything from upkeep and repairs to setting up for special events and cleaning up after floods. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused unbelievable damage to the Colonial Industrial Quarter which included severe damage to the Mill, Tannery, Waterworks and Springhouse. Just trying to get clean-up help was impossible because of the demand and backlog of cleaning companies. Fortunately, Bob had an industrial power washer of his own and started by hosing down the unusable rest rooms in the Mill which had been under five feet of water and covered with mud. From there he went on to the Tannery, Waterworks and Springhouse, which had been submerged in water up to its roof.

Bob was, and still is, extremely dedicated to HBP and always went above and beyond expectations. After about 11 years, he retired from HBP. Or so he thought! He volunteered to help train his successor but ended up returning to his job four times to train multiple successors. He still helps out voluntarily if needed and drops whatever he is doing to answer a call for help at one of the sites.

Erin Pryor Gill is a Lehigh Valley artist skilled in pastels, oils, and various printmaking techniques. Living in Bethlehem with her husband and their three sons, she is inspired daily by the surrounding landscape and historic architecture.

Erin majored in painting and printmaking at Alfred University and received a BFA in Illustration from Rochester Institute of Technology. After several years as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, she is now focused professionally on her own artwork. She enjoys painting outdoors, in addition to studio work, and has been juried into a number of plein air events including Plein Air Brandywine Valley and Paint Out Chadds Ford. Erin is on the board of the Lehigh Art Alliance and is a signature member of the Pastel Society of New Jersey. She regularly exhibits her work in regional and national juried shows.

“I love landscape painting because there are so many actual, nearby places that I love. I simplify detail, emphasize color, and embrace painterly strokes, but strive to convey a real sense of light and particular place. I’m honored to be selected to represent Historic Bethlehem as the featured artist this year, and excited to share my view of this captivating city.” -Erin Pryor Gill