A millwright by trade, Hans Christopher Christiansen engineered the Bethlehem Water Works in 1754, America’s first municipal water distribution system. Using a system of pumps and heavy wooden pipes, Christiansen managed to pump water uphill from the Monocacy River to a reservoir in the young industrial community’s town square. Once in the reservoir, the water was then distributed to homes and businesses throughout Bethlehem.
Although Christiansen’s water works design was not without its flaws (pipes often needed to be replaced because of the occasional burst), visitors marveled at the engineering feat. In 1761, seven years after the original construction, Christiansen expanded his plant to serve the growing community. As a result of the inventive mind of one of the Moravian Church’s most industrious sons, Bethlehem was the first American community to build and maintain a municipal water works and distribution system.
