Allentown, the largest city in the Lehigh Valley, third-largest city in Pennsylvania, and county seat of Lehigh County
Trout Hall, built in 1770 by James Allen, son of Allentown founder William Allen, is one of the oldest houses in Allentown; from 1867 to 1905, it served as the home of Muhlenberg College
The 23-story PPL Building in Center City Allentown, the city's tallest building
PPL Center's construction in Center City Allentown in September 2013
Center Square in Center City Allentown in May 2021
Albertus L. Meyers Bridge, also known as the 8th Street Bridge, in 2021
The 700 Block of Hamilton Street in Allentown in January 2007
Civic Theatre of Allentown at 527 N. 19th Street in May 2004

The buildings and architecture of Allentown, Pennsylvania reflect the city's history from its founding in 1762 through the present.

Allentown is characterized by historic homes, churches, commercial structures, and century-old industrial buildings, some of which played a role in the American Revolution of the 18th century, or were centerpieces in the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Many of the city's homes and building structures rank among the nation's oldest.

History

Allentown was founded in 1762. There are three historic districts in Allentown: Old Allentown, the Old Fairgrounds, and West Park neighborhoods. Old Allentown and Old Fairgrounds are Center City neighborhoods that hold a joint house tour organized by Old Allentown Preservation Association annually in September. West Park neighborhood also offers a tour of this district's larger Victorian and American Craftsman-style homes.[1]

The oldest standing structure in Allentown is Trout Hall, built in 1770 by James Hamilton, son-in-law of William Allen, the city's founder. Located at South 4th and Walnut streets, the home was later renamed several times. It was known as Livingston Mansion. In 1848, it became Allentown Seminary. In 1867, it housed the newly-established Muhlenberg College prior to the college's move to its current location off Cedar Crest Boulevard. In 1905, it was restored and is currently administered as Trout Hall by the Lehigh County Historical Society.

Miller Symphony Hall, at 23 North Sixth Street in Center City, was constructed in 1896.

Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ, founded in 1762, is located at 620 West Hamilton Street. The church's original structure was a log cabin Union Church it shared with the congregation of St. Paul's Lutheran. Zion's current building, a neo-gothic[2] structure built in the 1880s, hosts a sanctuary representing a high point in 19th-century church architecture, with stained glass art windows on all four walls interweaving biblical symbols with a floral motif, symbolizing the flowering of the new out of the old.[3]

Until 2023, Zion's Church also hosted the Liberty Bell Museum, due to the special role the church played in protecting the Liberty Bell from capture by British during the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777. The Liberty Bell was hidden under the floor boards in the church's basement.

20th century

In the 20th century, rowhouses, many built in the Victorian or Federal style, became popular in Allentown. The West End neighborhood, which runs roughly from 15th Street to Cedar Crest Boulevard, is famous for both its brick twin styles closer to center city and large homes, including the Hess Mansion, which is located in the city's west-end.

The PPL Building, constructed between 1926 and 1928, is Allentown's tallest building at 322 feet (98 m). It is 23 stories high and is located at the northwest corner of 9th and Hamilton streets]]. A Lehigh Valley icon, the building's Art Deco tower is visible throughout the Lehigh Valley; in clear weather, the building's tower is visible as far north as Blue Mountain. The building was designed by architect and skyscraper pioneer Harvey Wiley Corbett, who later helped design Rockefeller Center in Manhattan and was supervised by his assistant, Wallace Harrison, who later designed Lincoln Center, LaGuardia Airport, and the U.N. Headquarters Building in New York City. The building exterior features bas reliefs by Alexander Archipenko.

In 1930, the PPL Building was named the "best example of a modern office building" by Encyclopædia Britannica and was featured as having the world's fastest elevator. Exterior shots of Allentown's PPL Building are featured in the 1954 movie Executive Suite.[4]

21st century

At the beginning of the 21st century, much of Allentown's office and retail space was vacant.

In December 2011, J.B. Reilly,[5] Alvin H. Butz[6] and other developers announced a series of new plans designed to bring service-based companies and white-collar workers back to the city while taking advantage of a special tax zone created for the construction of the new PPL Center at 7th and Hamilton streets.

In the early 21st century, some historic industrial buildings have been converted to loft-style rental apartments, including the Farr Lofts in Center City, the P&P Mill Building in the 1st Ward ,and Auburn Station near the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Center.

Tallest buildings in the Lehigh Valley

The tallest buildings and structures in the Lehigh Valley, (metropolitan Allentown) are:[7][8]

Rank Building Name Height
feet/meters		 Floors Year
1 PPL Building 322 / 98 23 1928
2 Episcopal House 207 19 1968
3 Five City Center[9] 200 13 2019
4 Moravian House I 188 15 1974
5 Packer Memorial Church 183 / 56 1885
6 Tower 6[10] 180 12 2018
7 (tie) Wind Creek Bethlehem 175 14 2011
7 (tie) The Fred B. Rooney Building 175 14 1979
9 (tie) First United Church of Christ 173 / 53 1776
9 (tie) Regency Towers 173 14 1973
11 Two City Center[11] 165 11 2014
12 (tie) Towne House Apartments 161 13 1976
12 (tie) Towers East 161 13 1967
14 Americus Center 150 13 1927
15 Bethlehem Steel Building 140 13 1916
16 (tie) Lutheran Manor Apartments 138 11 1977
16 (tie) One Bethlehem Plaza 138 11 1974
16 (tie) Monocacy Tower 138 11 1973
19 (tie) B'nai B'rith West Apartments 136 11 1979
19 (tie) Little Lehigh Manor 136 11 1979
21 Walter House 134 11 1963
22 Allentown Center Square 130 11 1911
23 (tie) Tower 65 125 10 1967
23 (tie) Moravian House 2 125 10 1979
25 (tie) Lehigh County Prison 124 10 1992
25 (tie) Hamilton Financial Center 124 10 1983
27 Renaissance Allentown Hotel 123 10 2015
28 The Eastonian 121 / 37 10 1926
29 Alpha Building 115 10 1901
30 Tower Apartments 112.73 9 1966
31 Soldiers and Sailors Monument of Allentown 112 / 34 1899
32 Lehigh County Courthouse[12] 111 9 1965
33 Hotel Bethlehem 104 11 1922
34 (tie) The Andrew W. Litzenberger House 100 8 1967
34 (tie) Lehigh Valley Hospital - Muhlenberg 100 8 2005
34 (tie) No. 2 Machine Shop 100 8 1890
34 (tie) Iacocca Hall at Lehigh University[13] 100 8 1961
38 Lehigh Valley Hospital - 17th Street 79 / 24 6 1952
39 Allentown Masonic Temple 77 / 24 6 1925
40 Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument of Easton 75 / 23 1900

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Old Allentown Website".
  2. ↑ "Zion's United Church of Christ, Allentown, PA". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Zion's Reformed UCC: Our Heritage". Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ "M. Night Shyamalan's 'Glass' joins these 21 other films shot in the Lehigh Valley," Lehigh Valley Live, September 24, 2019, retrieved February 15, 2022.
  5. ↑ Assad, Matt. "Developer unveils $50 million office complex". The Morning Call. The Morning Call. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  6. ↑ Zanki, Tom. "Alvin H. Butz Inc. expanding corporate headquarters in downtown Allentown". Lehigh Valley Live. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Tallest Buildings in Allentown". emporis.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2004. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Falsone, Nick (May 22, 2017). "This list of the Lehigh Valley's 25 tallest buildings is changing". lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Five City Center, Allentown". Emporis. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Tower 6, Allentown". Emporis. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Two City Center, Allentown". Emporis. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Lehigh County Courthouse". Emporis. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem | 242293 | EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
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