Allentown – The Heart to the Lehigh Valley
Well we’re living here in Allentown
Billy Joel
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they’re killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line
Allentown is not the typical travel destination. A Rust Belt city, it is often thought of as a rough and tumble town going downhill with a vengeance. The city was memorialized, along neighbouring Bethlehem, by the Billy Joel song of the same name. Detailing the struggles of the local steelworkers it was well received when he visited the city. The well published downfall of the city is apparent after just a quick survey of the landscape – once littered by abandoned buildings. Yet there is a different story happening in parallel to this, in many ways the city is in the midst of an economic revival! With a strong growth in the logistics field and a revitalized downtown, it can only go up! I may have only stopped for a 5$ Breakfast but it made for an interesting day trip.
Table of Contents
- Geography
- History of Allentown
- After the Great Wars and Depression
- What to Do in Allentown?
- What to do in the Lehigh Valley and Beyond (Day Trips)?
Geography
Allentown, like its contemporary Bethlehem, was constructed on the banks of the Lehigh River (1st Ward). Later the city was expanded and the current downtown, center city became the business heart of the city. To the south this neighborhood is delimited, and overlooks, a section of the Little Lehigh Creek called the “Jordan Valley, just one of many places in the Lehigh Valley with religious connotations. Crossing this “valley” to the south side, is an arched concrete bridge called the Albertus L. Meyers Bridge but commonly referred to as the 8th Street Bridge. Built in 1913, it was the longest concrete bridge in the world at the time of its opening. The Allentown icon is a nod to the industrial heritage of the Valley namely; concrete, like that mixed at Atlas cement in nearby Coplay. The impressive bridge has been home to suicides due to its massive drop, hence the valley saying “Go Jump off the 8th Street Bridge”.
History of Allentown
Colonial and Revolutionary Allentown
Allentown was founded in 1762 as Northampton by William Allen on land bought from the sons of the founder of Pennsylvania William Penn, the latter who had gifted it to his children. An influential man in Pennsylvanian politics, he had built himself a log cabin and surveyed the land. He dissected it into 756 Lots over 42 blocks. In 1770, his son James would construct Trout Hall, the oldest remaining building in Allentown. During the Revolutionary War Allentown saw the breakdown of the British administration and became a Patriot stronghold, who took it out on their pacifist or loyalist neighbours. The town gained significance as a munition production center during the war and it is said that George Washington himself watered his horse here.
Civil War and the Industrial Age
Northampton grew slowly after the war. In 1792 the land north of the city was purchased by the Lehigh Coal company but not much was done due to the difficulty in moving the product, This all changed in 1818 when the Lehigh Navigation Company and the Lehigh river was made navigable by way of the Lehigh Canal all the way to the Delaware River. This was supplemented by a railway in 1855. In the early stages, Bethlehem was still the larger town and residents of Northampton had to pick up their mail there. The 19th century would see the name of the city changed to Allen’s town and then later Allentown as the city outgrew Northampton county.
During the civil war Allentown was a proud pro-Union town with the city sending some of the states first militias to Washington. These Allentown men were later incorporated in Pennsylvanian units and served with distinction. By the time the war was done the city was undergoing a profound transformation, one that would propel it to becoming the most important city in the Lehigh Valley.
The war had provided Allentown with a unique opportunity as a manufacturing center for the Union army and the completion of railways and canals allowed those goods to be shipped. It should be no surprise to anyone that a city with a massive German population such as Allentown would also become a major beer producer, although many are now discontinued, Schaefer Beer Company is still operational. Furthermore, the discovery of iron ore in the valley allowed the steel industry to flourish. This trend continued during both World Wars as Allentown factories provided for the army once again.
In the 1870’s an effort was made to diversify the city’s industry. A subsequent development was that Allentown would become a player in financial services, banking sectors and later as a logistics hub / warehousing center.
After the Great Wars and Depression
After the massive growth of industry engendered by the World Wars, Allentown was flying high, In 1951 the first transistor was produced in Allentown and the city was at the forefront of Electronics production.
It was not to last. After the 1960’s the United States started to de-industrialize and it could not have come at a worst time for the city! The construction of new suburbs and malls took away working class workers (eg: Tax Payers) and the properties were transformed into low rent – government subsidized housing. The renters of these buildings were usually poor New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia residents escaping high prices of those cities but bringing with them a variety of social problems. With services stretched thin, many neighborhoods became slums. To compound these issues, high taxes compelled many businesses to move to southern states, including Allentown’s own Mac Trucks.
What to Do in Allentown?
As a one time center of industry, many of Allentown’s attractions seem to revolve around the history of the trades worked in the Lehigh Valley. Although that may be true to some extent, modern Allentown is much more than that, even boasting a lively Arts and Entertainment Scene. As such a warm summer night out in Allentown must surely involve a trip out to Coca Cola field, the home of the minor league baseball team the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Get it? Pig Iron!). As a resident of the city of Ottawa, Canada, our AAA team, the Ottawa Lynx was actually moved to Allentown. The stadium is a very nice one for a minor league team and is currently servicing the Philadelphia Phillies.
One of my favorite parts of visiting Allentown is to drive around and explore the ruins of the city’s industrial past. Many of these buildings can be found in the heavily blighted First Ward but can be found elsewhere as well. One of my favourites of these is the Neuweiler Brewery, a beautiful masonry building that has been shuttered since the 1960’s.
For those looking to explore the downtown – center city, you will notice a shiny new veneer as many new office towers occupy space along Hamilton, the main commercial street of the city along with a string of 20th century mid-rise towers. On one end of the street you will notice a large column and roundabout, home to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, constructed in 1899. One of the newer buildings in this space is the PPL Center – where Allentown’s hockey team plays. On another you will see the PPL Center, a 23 story building dating from 1928 that still dominates the skyline.
For all my talk of Allentown decay and abandoned properties.The city center does have a wealth of pretty 20th century masonry Victorians – the key descriptor being in of various conditions of maintenance.
If you visit the Old Zion Reformed Church in the city center you will find the Liberty Bell Museum. In 1777, after George Washington’s defeat at the Battle of Brandywine, Philadelphia was vulnerable to attack. Fearing that many of the city’s bells would be melted down and turned into cannons by the British, the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ordered that eleven bells be removed to north to Allentown. As such, the Liberty Bell was hidden in the basement from the British during the American Revolutionary War and the museum commemorates this event.
Other sights of interest located in the downtown core include the Miller Symphony Hall, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, Trout Hall and the Arts Walk.
Finally for those interested in the history of Automobiles, I recommend visiting the America on Wheels museum in the First Ward.
What to do in the Lehigh Valley and Beyond (Day Trips)?
If you are staying in either Allentown or Bethlehem for an extended period of time I would recommend the following day trips.
Coplay
The town of Coplay is a place of eternal wonder… that is if you are an engineer or a cement fanatic! The city is home to some of the last remaining vertical cement kilns as well as the Atlas cement museum, commemorating one of the largest concrete companies in the world. To read more about this cementitious wonderland click here.
Easton
This industrial town is the home of the world famous marshmallow peep as well as the crayola factory. Weyerbacher Brewing Company, the main microbrewery of the city, is well known throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Bethlehem
Suburban Bethlehem and Allentown have practically grown into each other and a stay in either is recommended. However I must say that Bethlehem is the nicer city. Founded by a group of Moravians from nearby Nazareth, the city was a model self-sufficiency and would become an industrial as well as economic powerhouse during the Colonial Era. In later years it became a center of the Lehigh Valley steel industry. To read more about this historic center click here.
Nazareth
The small city was the first Moravian settlement in the Valley. Although diminutive in size it has a collection of beautiful old buildings that are certainly worth a look. Further information can be found here.
Jim Thorpe
Originally going by the name of Mauch Chunk, Jim Thorpe is a Pocono Mountain city that is linked to Allentown through the intermediary of the Lehigh River navigation canal. The city has strong ties to important Lehigh Valley industrialists, such as the Packer family from Bethlehem with members of the clan choosing to settle in Jim Thorpe. To learn more about the Switzerland of the Poconos click here.
