Workers Memorial

The Lehigh Valley Workers Memorial sculpture evokes the image of the workers who poured I-beams from molten steel, crafted the heavy-duty trucks or dug limestone from quarries. It is a memorial sculpture that both honors fallen workers and is uplifting. The statue was created by Zenos Frudakis, who sculpted a bronze worker standing within a circle, pushing upward as his bent back and legs bear the weight. The pose symbolizes the strength and resilience of the worker, while the Cor-Ten steel circle—designed to weather into a rusty orange over time—evokes the appearance of iron beams. Set in Bethlehem’s Rose Garden, the circular red form also echoes the rose-covered archways that line the garden paths.

“The figure is bent as if in burden, pushing against the circle—as if Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man were not merely standing at the center, but actively engaged in labor. It has a sense of being an unending, eternal memorial to workers.”
— Zenos Frudakis

A joint project of the Lehigh and Northampton labor councils, the memorial is dedicated to approximately 670 Lehigh Valley workers who lost their lives on the job over the years. It was unveiled on the 20th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, a landmark effort to protect workers in the workplace. During the dedication ceremony, attendees read aloud the names of those who had died, often honoring friends, coworkers, or family members. Speakers at the dedication included Jim Filyac, President of the Lehigh County Labor Council; Joseph A. Kinney, Director of the National Safe Workplace Institute; Pete DePietro, President of the Northampton County Labor Council; and the mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. The project was coordinated by Larry Temple, manager at Alvin H. Butz Inc., and involved volunteers from many local businesses.

Memorial Monument
Size: 8-feet high
Weight: 2,500 pounds
Media: Bronze figure in Cor-Ten steel circle, granite base
Dedication: April 28, 1991
Location: Bethlehem Rose Garden, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Inscription in Stone Base:
LEHIGH VALLERY WORKERS MEMORIAL
For the working men and women who have been killed or injured on the job and their families.
Dedicated April 28, 1991

Comment on Sculpture

“It is an uplifting symbol. I think it’s a nice statement to have something figurative, something people can identify with.”
— Ben Fortunado Marcune, Professor, Lehigh University