Star of Bethlehem No Longer Shines Over Sparrows Point

Once the site of the largest steel mill in North America, Sparrows Point is being demolished piece by piece. The former Bethlehem Steel plant was put into bankruptcy by its last steel owner, RG Steel and the new owners have sold off the equipment and the buildings have been scrapped. The last major structure left is the “L” blast furnace, once one of the largest blast furnaces in North America. The Sparrows Point blast furnace is scheduled for demolition sometime within the next few days or weeks, according to Sparrows Point Terminal LLC, the current owners of the site. Officials said the 320-foot tall L blast furnace will be imploded by Controlled Demolition Inc on a weekday in December.

The furnace from the former Bethlehem Steel Company was a community fixture holding aloft the lit Star of Bethlehem for many Christmas seasons. MCM Industrial Services, which has been managing demolition of the plant, has lit the star for the past two years at the shuttered plant.