Wheaton B. Kunhardt: the Green Legacy of a Man of Steel

When Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, he had Staten Island native Wheaton B. Kunhardt to thank for the specialized steel in his engines. While Andrew Carnegie was concentrating on mass producing steel for buildings, Kunhardt’s company, Carpenter Steel, developed stainless steels and high-grade alloys for cars, machinery, and aircraft. Although Carpenter Steel was based in Reading, Pennsylvania, Kunhardt spent much of his time in New York City, where he was a member of the New York Botanical Society and the American Museum of Natural History. When he died in 1933, he left his estate to The Trust.

Today, we are bringing together his passion for industry and nature. A $40,000 grant from the Wheaton B. Kunhardt Fund to the New York Industrial Retention Network is helping local businesses get green tax credits and grants for energy-efficient equipment, and produce environmentally safe products. More than 70 years after his death, Mr. Kunhardt is improving the environment and helping the City retain and create well-paying industrial jobs.