▁ 1 7 6 1 , ▁the ▁first ▁floor ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁accessed ▁by ▁walking ▁up ▁steps ▁rather ▁than ▁down ▁as ▁we ▁do ▁today . ▁Arch ae ological ▁exc av ations ▁found ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁cre ek ▁bank ▁along ▁with ▁soil ▁depos its ▁around ▁the ▁T ann ery , ▁indicating ▁heavy ▁fill . ▁These ▁discover ies ▁confirmed ▁that ▁the ▁original ▁level ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁seven ▁or ▁eight ▁feet ▁lower ▁than ▁it ▁is ▁now , ▁or ▁about ▁four ▁feet ▁lower ▁than ▁the ▁current ▁T ann ery ▁door way ▁opening .” ▁ ▁The ▁T ann ery ▁was ▁restored ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 8 – 1 9 7 1 ▁by ▁John ▁Mil ner ▁Associ ates ▁as ▁an ▁historic ▁site ▁interpre ting ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁t anning ▁operations . ▁After ▁rest oration ▁was ▁complete ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁for ▁t ours ▁and ▁educational ▁programming ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Cont in ued ▁rest oration ▁from ▁gr ants ▁received ▁allowed ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁v at ▁room ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁which ▁had ▁previously ▁not ▁been ▁accessible ▁due ▁to ▁d eter ior ation ▁of ▁the ▁view ing ▁platforms . ▁It ▁closed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁due ▁to ▁dam ages ▁from ▁h urr icane ▁Ivan . ▁ ▁The ▁T ann ery ▁is ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Beth le hem ▁with ▁a ▁long - term ▁le ase ▁to ▁Historic ▁Beth le hem ▁Museum s ▁& ▁S ites , ▁a ▁ 5 0