Lehigh Tower Stabilization Nears Completion
February 17, 2020
As we enter the 2020’s, the Lehigh University Center tower is prepared to weather the next century with renewed dignity. University Facilities is wrapping up a multi-year multi-million-dollar stabilization and targeted restoration of the beloved and iconic tower. Originally named Packer Hall, built in 1868 as three interconnected buildings, the original tower was reconstructed from the ground up in the 1920’s.
Renovations always yield unexpected discoveries, and Packer Tower was no exception. From structural inconsistencies that altered critical construction paths, to the revelation that the turret was hollow on the interior, concealed by infill masonry until now, this project presented constant challenges. The extensive work included over thirteen hundred cores drilled through the quartzite of the exterior, to allow for grout to be injected and create an anchor between the face stones and the supporting stones of the interior. The cores, which measure about 3” in diameter were painstakingly re-inserted in their original locations, blending back in with the surrounding stones.
