Industrial Revolution Preserved Through CH2M HILL Donation to Smithsonian

Engineering history is being preserved and catalogued through the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. CH2M HILL, a global full-service engineering, procurement, construction and operations firm, has donated more than 36,000 "ink on linen" architectural and engineering drawings, and is making a financial donation to support the archiving of these and other materials to preserve the American engineering heritage.

"This is very exciting for us," says Ralph Peterson, chairman and CEO of CH2M HILL. "These drawings provide a glimpse into the evolution of engineering and immortalize the industrial revolution by showcasing some of the first textile mills and manufacturing facilities. Helping to archive and preserve these drawings for future generations is a privilege and helps to honor the legacy of Lockwood Greene, the oldest American engineering and construction firm in continuous operation."

Discovered in 1996 at an abandoned Civil War weapons warehouse in Boston, the documents provide a pictorial account of America during the industrial revolution. The drawings handcrafted on linen parchment represent some of the most prominent textile mills, manufacturing facilities, mechanical processes and buildings of the 19th century.

Drawings catalogue the first electric-driven manufacturing facility, the Columbia Mills' textile mill in Columbia, South Carolina. Lockwood Greene, which was acquired by CH2M HILL in 2003, is credited as the first company to successfully engineer and apply an electric drive to a manufacturing operation. The 1893 project was undertaken with a new startup company, General Electric, which had been incorporated just one year before.

Other early drawings and photographs from this period include office buildings and manufacturing plants for the Baldwin Piano Company, Christian Science Monitor, Palmolive, the International House at Cite Universitaire in Paris, Lewiston Bleachery & Dye Works, Piedmont Manufacturing Company, Pelzer Manufacturing, American Cigar Company, Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company, Gillette, Hewitt Rubber, and numerous cotton and textile mills located across the eastern seaboard.

The donation will be made during a reception on September 25 at the Smithsonian.

Headquartered near Denver, Colo., employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in engineering, procurement, construction, management and operations for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. With $5.8 billion in revenue and more than 25,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record (2008). The firm's work is concentrated in the areas of energy, water, transportation, environmental, nuclear and industrial facilities. The firm has long been recognized as a most-admired company and leading employer, including being named by FORTUNE as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For and one of America's Most Admired Companies (2008). Visit www.ch2mhill.com .

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Contact: John Corsi Phone: 720.286.2087 E-Mail: Email Contact