The 100-foot behemoth stood tall, towering over ramshackle homes built on the backs of tens of thousands of anthracite miners — a reminder of their sacrifice that fueled an industrial revolution.

Though it never processed an ounce of the black diamonds beneath it, time took its toll on what was arguably the last remaining jewel in the crown of King Coal.

For nearly 60 years, the breaker at Eckley Miners Museum in Foster Township, Luzerne County, has been the backdrop in a living village that has entertained and educated countless visitors about life in Pennsylvania’s hard coal country.

Built as a movie prop by local carpenters for Paramount Pictures in 1968, the breaker played an integral role in the movie filmed there, “The Molly Maguires.”

Its angles and shell, wrapped around a frame of 20-or-so utility poles loomed large in many scenes, but the overall structure wasn’t built to last.

Other nearby buildings were a bit more sturdy and might be used for storage, a Paramount producer suggested when filming ended, admitting the breaker might have to come down if the village owner, Ringtown-based coal operator George Huss, didn’t want it.

Luckily, Huss agreed to a deal, selling to the local chamber of commerce which transferred ownership to the state. Then- Gov. Raymond Shafer came to town and accepted it for the state, which would administer the living museum going forward.

Paramount had invested $1 million at the time — $200,000 of it on the breaker — to turn back the clock on the village, removing utility poles, burying power and telephone lines and eliminating streetlights. That’s equal to just over $9 million today.

Under state stewardship, a museum was added in 1976 and buildings were upgraded. But there was little funding available to repair and maintain the breaker, despite the best efforts of local lawmakers and grassroots organizations.

Funds went toward infrastructure, with water and sewer lines being replaced and a water treatment plant being built at the 83-acre site.

A once-full complement of staffers fell victim to cost cutting efforts leaving a dedicated group of volunteers to maintain the traditions and stories of the past.

These days, the breaker shows its age. No longer connected to the tipple that pulled coal laden cars from a makeshift movie mine and without a roof, the building’s sides bulge under the ravages of weather.

But a surprising move apparently has saved the day.

This week, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission announced a large-scale, phased project to upgrade the breaker.

Though final details haven’t been announced, the project is expected to begin this winter with the cleaning and regrading of the breaker site.

Ultimately, the project will result in a new, multimillion dollar structure patterned after a village breaker from 1915.

The upgraded breaker will keep alive anthracite’s legacy, and also house a modern and multifunctional facility to preserve and showcase artifacts from the site and the region.

It will allow the village collections to expand and provide a climate-controlled location that would help preserve the state’s collection of anthracite culture.

In addition, the new breaker will restore a striking visual centerpiece to the village.

The latest announcement comes some two years after the state set plans for another project at Eckley.

In 2023, PHMC unveiled a proposal to upgrade the home of Asa Lansford Foster, built in 1851.

Foster, the eponym of Foster Township, where Eckley is located, and the borough of Lansford in the Panther Valley, started a coal company in the village with three other men.

The project is expected to become a center for the historians, archaeologists, biologists and geologists who do research work at the village.

It will feature seminar and conference space, office work stations and a laboratory. Adding to that, the project will renovate several existing homes to provide lodging for researchers.

The improvements at Eckley come as welcome news to both those researchers and local residents who volunteer or have roots in the village.

The existing breaker and its unfortunate decay stand as testament to the status of a once-booming industry.

As local coal mining adapts to the demands of a changing world, it’s good to see places like the museum preserving anthracite’s past.

The new breaker will shine bright in making that happen.

And it’s a great break for Eckley.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.