Hamilton Street
The 500 block of Hamilton Street in 2021
Part ofAllentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates40°36′06″N 75°28′25″W / 40.601716804720525°N 75.47359499864886°W / 40.601716804720525; -75.47359499864886
East endHanover Avenue
Major
junctions
PA 222
West endPA Route 222

Hamilton Street is a major thoroughfare and historic street in the Center City section of Allentown, Pennsylvania. The street dates back to 1762, when Allentown's founder, William Allen, included it as one of the first of several streets to be constructed in the city.[1]

The street is named for James Hamilton, who served as the mayor of Philadelphia from 1745 to 1746, and two terms as deputy governor of the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania, from 1759 to 1763, and 1748 to 1754.[2]

Geography

Three City Center at 515 West Hamilton Street
Americus Hotel, a historic Center City Allentown hotel, at 541 Hamilton Street
PPL Center at 701 Hamilton Street (on left) and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, honoring Union Army and Spanish–American War veterans, at Center Square on Hamilton Street (on right)

Hamilton Street begins at the end of Hanover Avenue just east of the Lehigh River in Allentown's east-side, then crosses the Lehigh River, and proceeds through Center City Allentown, where it becomes PA Route 222 past 13th Street in Allentown's west-side.

History

Hamilton Street was one of the first streets developed in the 18th century by William Allen, a shipping merchant and former mayor of Philadelphia. On September 10, 1735, Allen acquired 5,000-acre (20 km2) that includes present-day Center City Allentown, from Joseph Turner, an iron manufacturer and also a former mayor of Philadelphia.

20th century

In the 1970s, Hamilton Street was developed as the central shopping district in Allentown.

In the late 20th century, however, the subsequent development of indoor shopping malls in Allentown suburbs, including Lehigh Valley Mall in Fullerton, South Mall in Salisbury Township, and Whitehall Mall in Whitehall Township, drew customers away from Hamilton Street's shopping district, and many of its largest stores, including Hess's, Leh's, and others, were either acquired or went out of business.[3]

21st century

In September 2014, a major development project was completed on Hamilton Street, which included the construction and opening of PPL Center, an 8,500 indoor arena that serves as the home arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, an American Hockey League team and the primary development hockey team for the Philadelphia Flyers. The arena also hosts major concerts, sports, and entertainment events throughout the year.[4]

The City of Allentown holds its annual "Classics & Cruisers" event on Hamilton Street, which features classic cars from the 1970s and 1980s.[5]

Notable locations

References

  1. "History's Headlines: Hamilton is more than a road", WFMZ-TV, October 10, 2023
  2. "Hamilton is more than a road", WFMZ, October 4, 2019
  3. "PPL plans to demolish vacant remnant of Hamilton Mall revitalization project in Allentown", Lehigh Valley Live, April 4, 2013
  4. McEvoy, Colin (February 21, 2013). "Allentown Hockey Arena Will Be Named PPL Center". The Express-Times. Easton. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  5. "Classics & Cruisers on Hamilton" at Allentown.gov
  6. "Lehigh Valley Health Network-One City Center" at Lehigh Valley Health Network
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