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Museum Exhibits The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum attracts thousands of visitors a year due to its historically immersive variety of permanent and rotating exhibits. Through documents, around 35,000 historical artifacts, and photographs, the KNBT Historical Exhibit Gallery introduces museum-goers to the history of the earliest Native Americans in the area, the inspirational (and often tragic) experiences of the German immigrants who settled the area, wartime accounts of the 20th century, and even reflections on how the past is still integrated into modern society.&nbsp;The National Penn Bank Historical Exhibit Gallery displays the museum’s permanent exhibits, and it allows onlookers to discover what made the area unique in regards to the early American experience. Some rotating exhibits may include topics such as “The American Revolution,” “Stories of WWII,” and “Energy Past &amp; Present: Creating, Consuming &amp; Conserving.” Scott Andrew Trexler II Research Library &amp; ArchivesBecause the Historical Society is headquartered in the museum, visitors and researchers can also take advantage of the Scott Andrew Trexler II Research Library &amp; Archives. Housed within the library and archives is a&nbsp;vast collection of local and regional research documents as well as an extensive genealogical record.&nbsp;Furthermore, by filling out a library request form, casual and professional historians can browse through books, maps, newspapers, oral histories, photographs, business documents, county records, and virtually everything else that the Society has archived.

Part of the Lehigh County Historical Society's Abraham Lincoln Collection

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The Lehigh County Historical Society operates seven museums throughout the county, including this general history museum that is also home to the headquarters of the Society. The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum includes six galleries and over 13,000 square feet of exhibits that include artifacts related to Native inhabitants, early explorers and settlers, and residents of the valley from the 18th to 21st centuries. Permanent exhibits at the museum include artifacts related to Native American tribes and the colonial period, the legacy of Pennsylvania Germans, the rise of industry, and the plight of immigrant mill workers. Researchers and genealogists can use the Scott Andrew Trexler II Research Library & Archives.

Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum

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This walking tour starts at Allentown's Liberty Bell Museum and winds through downtown as it moves east towards Jordan Creek. The tour includes the historic Americus Hotel and several museums. The tour concludes at the Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King Memorial of Lehigh Valley.

As the 20th
century dawned, the president of the Allentown National Bank, Robert Wright
Jr., sought a new home for the financial institution that was founded in the
mid-19th century.&nbsp; He secured
the lot for the new bank building at the corner of Hamilton and 7th
streets.&nbsp; The local architectural firm of
Jacoby, Weishampel and Biggin was hired and construction on the steel-frame,
eight-story building began in 1903.&nbsp; Other
local companies were utilized to erect the steel and the granite, limestone and
terra cotta used to encase the frame came from nearby Scranton.&nbsp; The building’s grand opening took place on
March 15, 1905 with banking operations occurring on the lower floors while
various companies leased office space above.

The building’s
main lobby featured a 32-foot dome supported by six onyx columns with carvings
and molding designed and created by local sculptor, Herman Merkel.&nbsp; The ornate lobby led visitors and employees
to either the basement vaults, the main banking floor or the mezzanine level
along the west and south walls.&nbsp; Its main
staircase features marble treads and wainscot and an ornate railing.&nbsp; Its hydraulic elevators were considered state-of-the-art
for the time.&nbsp; The Lehigh Telephone Company
installed a single position switchboard designed by A.B. Durgan which connected
20 phones located on various desks within the bank office as well as a phone in
the home of President Robert Wright.&nbsp; 

The
Allentown National Bank survived the Great Depression and became the First
National Bank after a merger with the Second National Bank in 1954.&nbsp; It then moved its banking operations from the
building in 1958.&nbsp; In 1970, Meridian Bank
utilized the building for a short time and throughout the 1970s and 80s, various
businesses occupied the building, to include the Allentown Business School.&nbsp; It was then abandoned in the 1990s and
remained so for a decade.&nbsp; The city assumed
ownership as calls for its demolition grew louder.&nbsp; 

The building
was saved after it was purchased by Pennrose Properties in 2005.&nbsp; It was then fully renovated, to include lead
paint and asbestos remediation, and converted into 63 low-cost housing units
for the elderly at a cost of $12.2 million.&nbsp;
The renovations included the removal of the drop ceiling in the building’s
lobby which hid its ornate 32-foot dome.&nbsp;
The Allentown National Bank Building, which once financed numerous
industrial and commercial developments in the area is now home to a gym,
computer lab, community room and dozens of senior citizens., a wonderful
example of the adaptive reuse of a historic structure.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Completed in 1905, the Allentown National Bank Building now provides low-cost housing for some of the city’s senior citizens.  Constructed in the Beaux Arts architectural style, the building is the last pre-1920 commercial structure within Allentown’s central business district.  It served the community’s financial needs for almost a century until it was abandoned and almost demolished in the 1990s.  It was purchased, along with the adjacent Trojan Powder Building, by Pennrose Properties in 2005 and converted into Allentown Center Square Senior Housing.  While its interior has been significantly modified, it still maintains some of its historic elements and its exterior remains largely intact.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Allentown National Bank Building

Although a small museum, the variety of exhibits related to the Liberty Bell and the Revolution in this part of Pennsylvania offer visitors the chance to explore the early history of the community.&nbsp;In addition to this story, visitors to the museum can also experience the historic Zion’s Reformed Church, which was built in 1762 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.History of Hiding the&nbsp;Liberty Bell
The Battle of Brandywine in 1777 was a monumental defeat for George Washington, and it left Philadelphia virtually defenseless. An attack was inevitable, and the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ordered the removal of several bells throughout the city, as the Council feared that the British would melt them and use the material for weaponry.&nbsp;Thus, on a train of over 700 wagons, the Liberty Bell was hidden under manure and hay and taken to the Zion’s Reformed Church, where it remained unscathed. By 1778, after the British occupation of the area, the Liberty Bell was returned to its former resting spot.&nbsp;
Exhibits and Museum Features&nbsp; 
Because the Liberty Bell Museum stands as a commemoration to the defiance and patriotism surrounding the hiding of the bell, the museum is quite small. Nonetheless, it attracts thousands of enthusiasts every year due to its importance. Visitors to the museum won’t be disappointed, either, as the museum displays several Revolutionary and Colonial America exhibits.&nbsp;For example, the “Civil War 150: Celebrating the End of the War” exhibit showcases the events that led to the war’s end through pictures of battlefields, interpreted material, and documents. Also, the exhibit focuses on the women and African Americans who contributed to the war as well as Allentown’s First Defenders.2&nbsp;The Pip the Mouse exhibit in the museum features a digitized and restored soundtrack and puppet show celebrating the history of the holiday puppet show, “The Mouse Before Christmas.”3

Located in the basement of the Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ, the Liberty Bell Museum shares the story of how the people of Allentown hid the Liberty Bell during the American Revolution. As the King's Army was about to seize Philadelphia, concerned residents feared British soldiers would destroy the bell given is great symbolic importance. As a result, these men moved the bell to Allentown and hid it under floorboards, hay, and manure for nearly a year. Visitors to the museum can discover an exact replica of the bell as well as a mural depicting the hiding of the bell and other Colonial America exhibits. 

Liberty Bell Museum, Allentown

The site
that now hosts the Americus has been the location of a hotel since 1810.&nbsp; In that year, Abraham Gangewere built a small
wood-frame tavern and inn. It was later enlarged by Charles Seagraves, named
the Northampton Inn and visited by President Martin Van Buren in 1837.&nbsp; By World War I it had expanded to five stories
and was re-christened the American Hotel.&nbsp;
However, by the early 1920s it had fallen into a state of disrepair and
was purchased by Aaron Potruch in 1924.&nbsp;
Potruch then had the hotel razed with plans of constructing an office
building on the site.&nbsp; 

It’s at this
point that Albert Gomery enters the story.&nbsp;
Gomery, president of Allentown’s Chamber of Commerce, convinced other
local business leaders to fund the construction of another hotel on the site of
the former American Hotel.&nbsp; The result
was the 13-story, yellow brick Americus with arched windows and balconies on
the upper floors.&nbsp; It was designed by the
Philadelphia architectural firm of Ritter and Shay with a Spanish Moor
design.&nbsp; It featured over 300 rooms, two
ballrooms and a lavish lobby.&nbsp; Construction
began in 1926 and the grand opening took place on September 13, 1927.&nbsp; 

The Americus
was utilized by business travelers and revelers alike.&nbsp; Its grand ballroom hosted “grand balls,”
receptions, and numerous parties through out the mid-twentieth century.&nbsp; Unfortunately, with the decline of the steel
industry in the 1970s and 80s, the Americus suffered as well and fell into
arrears.&nbsp; In 1985 it was sold to Mark
Mendelson and the Americus Center Inc., renovations were undertaken and it
joined the Radisson chain in 1988.&nbsp; By
1994, it lost its Radisson affiliation and went up for sale at sheriff’s auction.&nbsp; There were no bids offered due to the hotel’s
large amount of debt.&nbsp; It was part of the
Clarion Hotel chain from 1995-1998 and its occupation permit was revoked in
2002.&nbsp; Utilities were cut in 2005 and its
last tenants were forced to leave in 2007.

In 2009, the
Americus was purchased at sheriff’s sale by developer Albert Abdouche.&nbsp; It was then included in the city’s
Neighborhood Improvement Zone and became eligible for tax revenues after
Abdouche secured a $9 million loan in 2017.&nbsp;
There are now plans to convert the hotel into a multi-use facility to
include hotel rooms, apartments, retail storefronts, office space and
eateries.&nbsp; As of this writing, renovations
continue on the historic hotel and its banquet rooms are available for
rental.&nbsp;

The Americus Hotel was built during the height of the Jazz Age in 1927.  The hotel was largely the brainchild of local businessman and real estate developer, Albert Gomery.  Gomery envisioned a grand hotel that could host business travelers and lavish parties with equal alacrity.  The 13-story hotel, with a Spanish Moor design was the focal point of Allentown’s business district for over 40 years.  However, as Allentown suffered through economic troubles in the 1970s and 80s, so too did the Americus.  It was condemned in 2007.  The Americus was recently purchased by another developer and renovations are currently underway.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.  

Americus Hotel

The area
that is now home to Miller Symphony Hall was once a thriving Allentown market.&nbsp; The building that is now the symphony hall
was once the hub of that market place.&nbsp;
By the late 19th century, it began hosting concerts.&nbsp; In 1899 it was converted&nbsp; into a full time live-event venue with the
help of architect J.B. McElfatrick and named the Lyric Theater.&nbsp; It opened with a comic opera and was also
used for vaudeville shows, plays, and minstrel shows.&nbsp; In 1912 alone it hosted former president
Teddy Roosevelt, soon-to-be President Woodrow Wilson, and African-American
activist Booker T. Washington.&nbsp; It was
eventually adapted to show silent films just prior to and during America’s
involvement in World War I to the soldiers training at nearby Camp Crane.

During the
1920s it went through major renovations to include a new Beaux-Arts style façade
designed by Allentown’s David Levy.&nbsp; It
then became one of the country’s foremost “try out” theaters where shows were
tested prior to moving on to Broadway, to include the Marx Brothers musical
review, I’ll Say She Is, in 1923.&nbsp;
When the Great Depression hit, the Lyric suffered the same financial
fate as most of the country.&nbsp; It
struggled to fill seats as Allentown residents had little disposable
income.&nbsp; In order to increase attendance,
the managers turned to boxing matches and burlesque strip shows.&nbsp; 

Soon after
World War II, it became home to the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and the Allentown
Community Concert Association was formed to support both the orchestra and the
theater.&nbsp; However, its financial situation
did not improve and the owners sought its sale to a company that had razed the
nearby Orpheum Theater and turned it into a parking lot in 1953.&nbsp; In stepped the owners of the local newspaper,
Sam and Donald Miller.&nbsp; Together with the
Allentown Symphony Association, they were able to purchase the Lyric and turn
it into a dedicated concert hall in 1959 called the Allentown Symphony Hall.

By the late
1980s, Symphony Hall faced a new threat, disrepair and debt.&nbsp; As a result, fund raising efforts for renovations
began.&nbsp; These efforts netted $12 million
since 1990 and have led to a new roof, restored exterior façade and lobby,
upgraded guest seating, the addition of office and rehearsal areas, a new stage
and acoustical shell and the addition of a new wing.&nbsp; With the renovations came a new name to honor
the family that saved the theater in the 1950s: Miller Symphony Hall.&nbsp; Currently, Miller Symphony Hall is the
foundation of Allentown’s cultural district and continues to host a variety of
live-events.&nbsp; &nbsp;

What began as part of a farmer’s market is now the premier live-event venue in the Lehigh Valley.  Miller Symphony Hall was initially used as a 3-story central market place in the late 19th century.  It was converted to a theater on the eve of the 20th century and has been used as such ever since, with numerous alterations to both building and types of performers.  It has hosted risqué burlesque shows and was threatened with demolition in the 1950s.  It has survived both disrepair and debt in the 1980s and today is home to the Allentown Symphony Orchestra.  It also hosts a variety of live events, with a focus on jazz and classical music.  

Miller Symphony Hall

Soon after Allentown
was founded, the local courts met above a local tavern and later at the newly
built Lehigh County Prison.&nbsp; Planning for
a stand-alone courthouse began in 1812 on land donated by Ann Penn Allen Greenleaf,
granddaughter of the town’s founder, William Allen, at the corner of Hamilton
and 5th Streets.&nbsp; The town
fathers decided to model their courthouse after the one located in
Williamsburg, which was demolished in 1860.&nbsp;
Construction on the limestone building began in 1814 and was completed
in 1819.&nbsp; 

The original
building was modest in size, at only 90 feet x 60 feet.&nbsp; It featured a hipped roof that was topped by
a tall, narrow cupola unlike the large, wide version that sits atop its roof
today.&nbsp; It soon became a community gathering
place, hosted Episcopal services in 1825 and a staging place for P.T. Barnum to
“exhibit”&nbsp;little person, Tom Thumb, in 1844.&nbsp;
Its lone courtroom was located on the second floor and was dominated by
a large Palladium window.&nbsp; 

Forty years
after its completion, it was evident that the town and county had outgrown the
small courthouse and as the Civil War raged, plans for its expansion were made.&nbsp; That expansion was completed in 1864 and gave
the courthouse a Cruciform design.&nbsp; The
original interior was redesigned as well.&nbsp;
Two large curving staircases were added to the entrance hall that led to
the courtroom foyer and two small probate courtrooms were added.&nbsp; The main courtroom was remodeled with a
church-like design with nave-like seating, a rear wooden balcony and an apse-like
alcove behind the wooden judge’s bench that included fluted Corinthian columns
and center doorway.&nbsp; The old cupola was
also removed and replaced with the larger version that still graces its roof.

In 1880-81 a
smaller addition was built that housed its new, two-floor law library.&nbsp; Then, prior to America’s entrance into World War
I, plans were made to replace the Old Courthouse and those plans began with a
modern, mismatched addition that faced Court Street.&nbsp; After that Second Renaissance Revival
addition was completed, the plan was to demolish the Old Courthouse and
complete the new, modern version.&nbsp;
However, World War I delayed those plans.&nbsp; Then, material costs and citizen’s aversion to
a tax increase shelved those plans for good.&nbsp;


Thus, the
Old Courthouse came to house county courts and government offices from 1817
through 1965 when the new courthouse was completed.&nbsp; It was also home to the Lehigh County Museum,
offices of the County Archivist and Museum Director as well as the library of
the Lehigh County Historical Society from 1976-2004.&nbsp; The 1916 addition still serves as a courthouse
(County District Court 31-2-01) to this day and the 1864 courtroom has been
used as an auditorium.&nbsp; &nbsp;

With its original section dating back to the early 19th century, the Old Lehigh County Courthouse has undergone numerous renovations and expansions over its 200-year history.  The initial courthouse, which was modest in size, was completed in 1819.  It was then remodeled and enlarged in 1864, again in 1881 and once again in 1916.  The mismatched 1916 addition was initially meant to be the beginnings of an entirely new courthouse and spell doom for the older sections.  However, a new courthouse was built near the old in 1965 and the Old Courthouse was spared.  Today, the newer section is home to a branch of the County District Court while the older section houses local government offices such as that of the County Coroner.  The Old Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Old Lehigh County Courthouse

History of the Allentown Art Museum
The Allentown Art Museum dates back to the Great Depression, and while the industrial and rural societies in the Pennsylvania countryside struggled to uphold moral, American educator and artist Walter Emerson Baum discovered a stronger need for an art museum.&nbsp;During the heaviest years of the Depression, he founded and incorporated the museum in 1934 and 1939, respectively. During the first 20 years of the museum’s service to the community, it mostly featured work from local artists and was housed in a Federal-style house. This all changed five years after Baum’s death, and between 1960 and 1961, Cherryville native Samuel H. Kress donated 53 Renaissance and Baroque paintings to the museum. The gift stimulated the community, and the museum was moved to its current resting spot.&nbsp;Over the years, the museum continued acquiring works, and by 2011, the museum underwent a massive renovation and added nearly 10,000 square feet of gallery, storage, and public space. In this time, another 25,000 square feet was also refurbished.1&nbsp;
Permanent Collection and&nbsp;Exhibits
Although the rotating exhibits draw thousands of visitors from all over Pennsylvania as well as the nation, it is the permanent collection that gives the museum its nation-wide acclaim. Additionally, the permanent collection houses over 100 works of Old Master paintings and sculptures, most of which draw from Samuel H. Kress’s original donation.&nbsp;Some of the most famous European paintings in this collection include a central panel from Giovanni del Biondo’s 1379 “Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine” as well as Frans Snyder’s 1625 “Game Stall at Market.” Other parts of the collection include American Painting &amp; Sculpture, Decorative Arts, Non-Western Art, Textiles &amp; Costume, and Works on Paper.&nbsp;Some of the rotating exhibits at the museum have included “Past Present: Conversations Across Time,” “Weston’s Women: Edward Weston and Cycles of Influence,” and “William Baziotes: Surrealist Watercolors.”2&nbsp;
Other Features of the Museum
In addition to its collection and exhibits, the Allentown Art Museum offers visitors a multifaceted experience grounded on artistic creation. Through a collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts &amp; Poetry Foundation, the Allentown Art Museum hosts a regional recitation contest known as Poetry Out Loud.3&nbsp;Also, the Allentown Arts Museum conducts a variety of outreach programs to schools and the community, including college and adult group tours, Arts Education in the Classroom, and multi-visit programs.&nbsp;

The Allentown Art Museum carries the proud role of being the go-to center for the arts in Lehigh County, and with over 17,000 works of art covering every medium and genre, especially European paintings and textiles, visitors can spend hours or even days exploring the vast collections. 

Founded in 1934 due to the grassroots efforts by the teacher, painter, and critic Walter Emerson Baum, this museum is dedicated to providing Lehigh communities with a direct connection to internationally acclaimed as well as local art. Visitors to the museum can discover everything from American paintings and textiles to non-Western art and costumes, while enthusiasts and scholars can take advantage of the extensive library and archives. 

Allentown Art Museum

James Allen
was the third son of wealthy Philadelphia merchant William Allen.&nbsp; William was also very much involved in
colonial politics, serving as the mayor of Philadelphia, city councilman and
provincial assemblyman, among other positions.&nbsp;
William eventually purchased 5,000 acres about 60 miles north of
Philadelphia in 1735 and laid out plans for a 42-block town that he called
Northampton Town.&nbsp; However, most took to
calling it Allen’s Town and it officially became known as Allentown in 1838.&nbsp; William then bequeathed the town and land to
his son, James, in 1767.&nbsp; 

James
graduated college in 1759 and attended law school in London.&nbsp; He was elected common councilman in
Philadelphia in 1767 and later, assemblymen.&nbsp;
As a result, he spent most of his time in Philadelphia, but managed to
visit Allentown enough to warrant the construction of a summer home there.&nbsp; Trout Hall, named after his father’s hunting
lodge, was the result.&nbsp; The 2.5 -story,
stone structure featured a basement kitchen with walk-in fireplace, while its
first floor contained a living room or long hall, bedroom, and parlor, all with
fireplaces.&nbsp; The second story was
originally unfinished.&nbsp; 

James Allen,
a Loyalist, died of TB in Philadelphia during the Revolution in 1778, two years prior
to the death of his father.&nbsp; After his
death, his wife, Elizabeth nee Lawrence, and their daughters utilized Trout
Hall and its surrounding 812 acres until 1789.&nbsp;
It was then left vacant until 1825.&nbsp;
In that year, Allen’s eldest daughter, Anne Penn Greenleaf, gave the
building and surrounding land to her daughter, Mary Allen Livingston, and it
was renamed The Livingston Manor.&nbsp; It was
sold in 1847 and sold again to the interests of the Allentown Seminary in
1848.&nbsp; It later became part of the
Allentown Collegiate and Military Academy and later, the original site of
Muhlenberg College.&nbsp; All three entities constructed
significant additions to Trout Hall.&nbsp; When
the college relocated, Trout Hall was leased to the Allentown Preparatory
School and was purchased by the city in 1908.&nbsp;
The prep school continued to occupy Trout Hall until 1915.

The Lehigh
County Historical Society, founded in 1904, and the Daughters of the American Revolution
then lobbied the city to restore the hall back to its colonial status and
utilize it as a period museum.&nbsp; That
restoration took place from 1916-1918 when the later additions were removed and
Trout Hall took on its original appearance.&nbsp;
Today, it sits adjacent to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum and serves
as an 18th century period museum.&nbsp;

Built as a summer home for James Allen and his family in 1770, Trout Hall has also been part of a seminary, military academy, prep school and college.  Built in the Georgian style, Trout Hall is the oldest home in Allentown and is now under the management of the Lehigh County Historical Society which uses it as a period and Revolutionary War Era museum.  It stayed within the Allen family until it was sold to an outside interest in 1847.  It was eventually purchased by the City of Allentown in 1908 and restored to its colonial status by 1918.  It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.

Trout Hall

Harry A. Roberts, for whom this plaza was named, worked to create a monument that would&nbsp;honor both Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.&nbsp;Although Harry died three years before the statue was
unveiled in 2011, his brother Richard was present at the dedication on Martin Luther King Day in 2011. A modest crowd of just over one hundred attended the dedication and sang&nbsp;“We Shall Overcome” while yellow
balloons went up into the air. 

Coretta Scott King was
one of the most influential Women’s Rights leaders in the world. She often participated in civil rights demonstrations with her husband while also standing guard against those that would harm their family and home. She accompanied her husband and other civil rights leaders around the world and personally spoke and wrote&nbsp;about many topics on social justice. After her&nbsp;husband’s assassination in 1968, Coretta Scott King worked to develop the&nbsp;King Center which operates as a center
for nonviolent social change as well as a memorial for her family.
Scott also worked hard to establish Dr. King’s birthday as a national holiday in 1986.

Unveiled in 2011, this memorial was the first monumental sculpture to depict Dr. Martin Luther King and his wife Coretta Scott King. The site of the memorial is located near downtown Allentown at the Harry A. Roberts Plaza. The monument was dedicated to commemorate the life of the Kings while addressing the issues of civil rights, world peace, and economic equality.

Walking Tour of Allentown Pennsylvania

Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information