▁of ▁Historic ▁Places ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁The ▁building ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Historic ▁Mor av ian ▁Beth le hem ▁Historic ▁District ▁which ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁District ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁and ▁later ▁nominated ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁T ent ative ▁List ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁for ▁consideration ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site . ▁ ▁Description ▁and ▁history ▁ ▁The ▁T ann ery ▁was ▁originally ▁built ▁as ▁a ▁small ▁log ▁structure ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 3 ▁along ▁the ▁east ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Gr ist ▁Mill ▁( today ▁L uck en bach ▁Mill ) ▁tail ▁race . ▁Le ather ▁was ▁both ▁an ▁important ▁material ▁and ▁a ▁valuable ▁comm od ity ▁in ▁early ▁Beth le hem , ▁making ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁the ▁t ann ery ▁all ▁the ▁greater ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prof itable ▁indust ries . ▁It ▁supplied ▁the ▁necessary ▁le ather ▁for ▁sho em akers , ▁har ness ▁mak ers , ▁and ▁s add lers ▁in ▁Beth le hem , ▁Naz are th , ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁areas . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁community ▁grew , ▁so ▁did ▁the ▁t anning ▁operation , ▁and ▁a ▁larger , ▁more ▁permanent ▁stone ▁structure ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁tail ▁race ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁constructed ▁as ▁a ▁ 3 5 ▁ft . ▁by ▁ 6 6 ▁ft ., ▁five ▁bay , ▁three - story ▁lim estone ▁building ▁with ▁a ▁one -