1 ( c ) 3 ▁non - pro fit ▁organization . ▁The ▁building ▁is ▁not ▁presently ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁ ▁The ▁t anning ▁process ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁turning ▁animal ▁h ides ▁into ▁t anned ▁le ather ▁was ▁a ▁length y , ▁seven - step ▁process ▁that ▁could ▁take ▁up ▁to ▁two ▁years ▁or ▁longer . ▁The ▁work ▁required ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁strength ▁as ▁the ▁wet ▁h ides ▁could ▁we igh ▁several ▁hundred ▁pounds . ▁" In ▁ 1 7 9 0 , ▁for ▁example , ▁David ▁Gold ▁gave ▁up ▁his ▁job ▁after ▁several ▁years ▁because ▁of ▁what ▁he ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁' weak ness ▁in ▁his ▁arms '. ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁t ann ers ▁in ▁Beth le hem ▁came ▁directly ▁from ▁Germany ." ▁ ▁“ First ▁the ▁h ides ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁was hed , ▁clean ed , ▁and ▁trim med . ▁Next ▁they ▁were ▁so aked ▁in ▁a ▁l ime ▁solution ▁for ▁several ▁weeks ; ▁this ▁facil itated ▁‘ be aming ,’ ▁the ▁subsequent ▁sc rap ing ▁of ▁the ▁hide ▁to ▁remove ▁the ▁hair ▁and ▁any ▁remaining ▁flesh . ▁The ▁h ides ▁were ▁then ▁so aked ▁for ▁many ▁weeks ▁in ▁a ▁‘ b ating ’ ▁solution , ▁a ▁f oul - sm elling ▁mixture ▁of ▁water , ▁salt , ▁and ▁man ure ▁that ▁neutral ized ▁any ▁remaining ▁l ime ▁and ▁also ▁alter ed ▁the ▁chemical ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁skin ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁more ▁flexible . ▁Next ▁came ▁the ▁actual ▁t anning ▁step ▁of ▁imm