The No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum in Lansford may be closed for the season, but work continues on a $4 million historic preservation and mine reclamation project announced in November.

The Panther Creek Valley Foundation broke ground for a building adjacent to the museum and mine to house two giant mine ventilation fans and the stationary steam engine that once powered them in 2023.

The fans, which date to 1883 and 1908, came from the Dorrance Colliery, which was located along the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre - just north of the Luzerne County Courthouse.

The fans, which measure 35 feet and 28 feet in diameter, circulated air deep inside the mine, and protected hundreds of miners from hazardous gases, while pulling in fresh air.

Pieces of coal mining history, the fans, once restored and placed on exhibit, will be used to tell the story of anthracite mining and how it fueled the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century.

The mine and museum bring tourists, not only from the region, but from throughout the world to Carbon County. The attraction saw some 14,000 visitors this past season, and hopes to top 15,000 in the coming year.

The Dorrance fan house project, which will see a combination of state and federal funding, is expected to be complete by the end of 2024, said Dale Freudenberger, secretary of the No. 9 mine and foundation.