Allentown, Pennsylvania

This article is about the city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. For the neighborhood in Pittsburgh, see Allentown, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Allentown, Pennsylvania
Home rule municipality
City of Allentown
Clockwise from top left: Nineteenth Street Theater, Allentown Skyline, Allentown Art Museum, Albertus L. Meyers Bridge, Coca-Cola Park
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  "The A" "The Queen City", "A-Town", "Band City USA", "Peanut City", "Silk City".
Motto(s):  "Sic Semper Tyrannis"
Location within Lehigh County
Allentown Location within Pennsylvania Allentown Location within the United States Allentown Allentown (North America)
Coordinates: 40°36′06″N 75°28′38″W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Lehigh
Settled	1751 (1751)
Founded	1762 (1762)
Incorporated	March 12, 1867 (1867-03-12)
Founded by	William Allen
Named for	William Allen
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
• Mayor	Matthew Tuerk (D)
• City Solicitor	Tom Traud
• City Controller	Jeff Glazier
• City Council	Council Members Roger MacLean (president) Candida Affa (vice president) Daryl Hendricks Julio Guridy Cynthia Mota Courtney Robinson Ed Zucal
• Senate	Pat Browne (R)
Area
• Home rule municipality	17.99 sq mi (46.60 km2)
• Land	17.55 sq mi (45.47 km2)
• Water	0.44 sq mi (1.14 km2)
• Urban	289.50 sq mi (749.79 km2)
• Metro	730.0 sq mi (1,174.82 km2)
Elevation	338 ft (103 m)
Highest elevation	440 ft (130 m)
Lowest elevation	255 ft (78 m)
Population  (2020)
• Home rule municipality	125,845
• Estimate  (2019)	121,442
• Density	6,918.20/sq mi (2,671.11/km2)
• Urban	664,651 (US: 61st)
• Urban density	1,991.0/sq mi (768.7/km2)
• Metro	827,048 (US: 68th)
• Metro density	1,117.8/sq mi (431.6/km2)
• Demonym	Allentonian
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	18101, 18102, 18103, 18104, 18105, 18106, 18109, 18175, 18195
Area codes	610, 484
FIPS code	42-02000
GNIS feature ID	1202899
Primary Airport	Lehigh Valley International Airport- ABE (Major/International)
Secondary Airport	Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport- XLL (Minor)
Website	www.allentownpa.gov

Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch: Allenschteddel, Allenschtadt, or Ellsdaun) is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The city had a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 census. It is the fastest-growing major city in Pennsylvania, the largest city in the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, and Pennsylvania's third largest city, behind only Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in total population. Allentown was founded in 1762 and is the county seat of Lehigh County.

Located on the Lehigh River, Allentown is the largest of three adjacent cities (Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton) in Lehigh and Northampton counties that join with Carbon County in Pennsylvania's Coal Region and Warren County in northwest New Jersey to form the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area. Allentown is approximately 59 miles (95 km) north-northwest of Philadelphia and 93 miles (150 km) west of New York City.

History

Origins

In the early 1700s, the land now occupied by the city of Allentown and Lehigh County was a wilderness of scrub oak where neighboring tribes of Native Americans fished for trout and hunted for deer, grouse, and other game. In 1736, a large area to the north of Philadelphia, embracing the present site of Allentown and what is now Lehigh County, was deeded by 23 chiefs of the five great Native American nations to three sons of William Penn: John, Thomas, and Richard Penn. The price for this tract included shoes and buckles, hats, shirts, knives, scissors, combs, needles, looking glasses, rum, and pipes.

The land that ultimately became Allentown was part of a 5,000-acre (20 km²) plot William Allen purchased on September 10, 1735 from his business partner Joseph Turner, who was assigned the warrant to the land by Thomas Penn on May 18, 1732.

The land was originally surveyed on November 23, 1736. A subsequent survey done in 1753 for a road from Easton to Reading shows the location of a log house owned by Allen, situated near the western bank of Jordan Creek, which was believed to have been built around 1740. Used primarily as a hunting and fishing lodge, Allen also used the log house to entertain prominent guests, including his brother-in-law James Hamilton and colonial Pennsylvania governor John Penn.

Founding

Trout Hall, built in 1770 by James Allen (son of Allentown founder William Allen), is the oldest house in Allentown. From 1867 to 1905, it served as the home of Muhlenberg College.

The geographic area that today comprises center city Allentown was initially laid out as Northampton Town in 1762 by William Allen, a wealthy shipping merchant, former mayor of the city of Philadelphia and then chief justice of the colonial Province of Pennsylvania. It is likely that a certain amount of rivalry among the Penns prompted Allen to decide to start a town of his own in 1762.

Ten years before, in 1752, Northampton and Berks counties had formed, each with a county seat, Easton and Reading respectively. In 1763, the year after the founding of Allentown, an effort was made to move the county seat from Easton to Allentown. William Allen lent all his influence as Chief Justice and also as the son-in-law of Andrew Hamilton. The influence of the Penns, however, prevailed, and Easton was retained as the county seat of the vast area that had been opened up as part of the Walking Purchase.

The original plan for the town, detailed in archives now housed in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, comprised forty-two city blocks and 756 lots, most 60 feet (18 m) in width and 230 feet (70 m) in depth. The town was located between present-day Fourth and Tenth Streets, and Union and Liberty Streets. Many streets on the original plan were named for Allen's children, including Margaret (present-day Fifth Street), William (now Sixth), James (now Eighth), Ann (now Ninth) and John (now Walnut). Allen Street (now Seventh) was named for Allen himself and was the city's main thoroughfare. Hamilton Street was named for James Hamilton. Gordon Street was named for Sir Patrick Gordon, the Deputy governor of Colonial Pennsylvania from 1726 to 1736. Chew Street was named for Benjamin Chew, and Turner Street was named for Allen's business partner Joseph Turner.

Allen hoped that Northampton Town would displace Easton as the seat of Northampton County and also become a commercial center due to its location along the Lehigh River and its proximity to Philadelphia. Allen gave the property to his son James in 1767. Three years later, in 1770, James built a summer residence, Trout Hall, in the new town near the site of his father's former hunting lodge.

On March 18, 1811, the town was formally incorporated as the borough of Northampton Town. On March 6, 1812, Lehigh County was formed from the western half of Northampton County, and Northampton Town was selected as the county seat. The town was officially renamed "Allentown" on April 16, 1838 after years of popular usage by that name and was formally incorporated as a city on March 12, 1867.

American Revolutionary War

Further information: American Revolutionary War

The Old Allentown Cemetery on North 10th Street includes this 1926 tablet placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution, honoring American Revolutionary War patriots from Allentown whose graves are located in the cemetery.

Some of the first resistance to British colonialism, which led ultimately to the American Revolutionary War, began in and around present day Allentown. On December 21, 1774, a Committee of Observation for Northampton County was formed by local American patriots. At the time, there were 54 homes in Northampton Town (Allentown) with around 330 residents. With the Declaration of Independence, the Colonial British government in Allentown began to break down and patriot militias took control. Frontier justice replaced the rule of law as zealous patriots preoccupied themselves with seizing local political power and persecuting their pacifist neighbors. Patriots pressured Tories out of the Allentown area, and plans were made for the raising of a patriot militia. The burden of supplying a military force logistically fell upon the people, and requisitions for food, grain, cattle, horses and cloth became commonplace.

After the Battle of Trenton, on December 26, 1776, Hessian prisoners-of-war were kept in the vicinity of present-day Seventh and Gordon Streets. The Zion Reformed Church, and a house near James (now Eighth) and Hamilton Streets, served as hospitals for injured and sick Continental Army troops. In 1777, a factory manufacturing paper cartridges for muskets was relocated to Allentown from nearby Bethlehem. That same year, a shop of sixteen armorers was established along the Little Lehigh Creek and was employed in the repair of weapons and the manufacture of saddles and scabbards.

General George Washington and his Continental Army staff passed through Allentown, up Water Street (now Lehigh Street) following his victory at the Battle of Trenton. They stopped at the foot of the street at a large spring on what is now the property occupied by the Wire Mill. They rested and watered their horses, then went their way to their post of duty.

In 1777, with Toryism was on ascent in neighboring Bethlehem, the Continental Congress found it necessary to move their cartridge manufacturing to a safer location, and the town of Northampton Town (Allentown) was selected for repairing patriot arms and bayonets and the manufacturing of saddles. Captain Styles was placed in charge of military supplies and John Tyler and Ebenezer Cowell were armorers in the employ of the state who ran the factory. Sixteen local armorers, including Johannes Moll, were actively engaged in repair work at the factory. Wood was procured locally, which provided the necessary charcoal for the repair operations and for replacing the battered stocks of damaged rifles.

Liberty Bell's hiding

Main article: Liberty Bell

Further information: Liberty Bell Museum

The Liberty Bell's arrival at Zion Reformed Church on Hamilton Street in Allentown on September 24, 1777 is depicted in this watercolor by Davis Gray.

Allentown holds historical significance as the location where the Liberty Bell (then known as the Pennsylvania State House bell) was successfully hidden by American patriots to avoid its capture by the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. After George Washington's defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1777, the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was left defenseless and American patriots began preparing for what they saw as an imminent British attack on the city. Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council ordered that eleven bells, including the State House bell and the bells from Philadelphia's Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, be taken down and moved out of Philadelphia to protect them from the British, who would melt the bells down to cast into cannons. The bells were transported north to Northampton Town (Allentown) and hidden in the basement of the Zion Reformed Church in what is now center city Allentown.

Two wagon masters played an important role in transporting the Liberty Bell trip from Philadelphia to Bethlehem. John Snyder and Henry Bartholomew were employed by the Supreme Executive Council on the day of the Liberty Bell's journey to convey money and papers of value from Philadelphia to Easton for protection. It is recorded these two farmers of high esteem with horses and wagon of great value were entrusted with "papers in case, a barrel and a large iron chest". They made more than this one trip. On one journey from Pittstown, New Jersey, these two men carried ammunition and books to store in safety in Easton. The only highway to this city at the time came by way of Germantown through Bethlehem and then east to Easton.

Today, a shrine and museum in the Zion Reformed Church's basement at 622 West Hamilton Street in Allentown, known as the Liberty Bell Museum, marks the precise location where the Liberty Bell was hidden.

Early Allentown

The first bridge erected across the Lehigh River in 1814, just north of the current bridge, depicted after the Lehigh Canal's opening. The bridge, erected between 1812 and 1814, is shown looking west from the east bank of the river.

Saeger's Mill in Allentown was built in 1828 along the Lehigh Canal. It used water power purchased from the canal's owner, the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1951.

Following the American Revolution War, Northampton Town began to slowly grow. In 1782 there were fifty-nine houses and over a hundred cows were stabled in the town. The town was described by a visitor in 1783: "One gets a glimpse of many good stone houses, many of them very neat, and everything about the premises shows good order and attention. The people are mainly German who speak bad English and distressing German." In 1795, the U.S. Gazetteer described Allentown as:

A handsome and flourishing town of Northampton County, pleasantly situated on the point of land formed by the junction of the Jordan Creek and Little Lehigh. It is regularly laid out and contains about ninety dwellings, a German Lutheran and a Calvinist (Zion) Church, an Academy and three merchant mills.

In 1792, the land to the north of the Lehigh Valley was purchased by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. However, it was difficult to transport coal over the primitive trail system that existed at the time so very little was mined until 1818 when the company began construction on the Lehigh Canal to transport coal from Mauch Chunk (today's Jim Thorpe) to Easton on the Delaware River. The Lehigh Canal, 46.6 miles long along the east side of the Lehigh River, was completed for both ascending and descending navigation in 1829. Its construction was the greatest single factor in making anthracite coal one of America's most important domestic and industrial fuels. However, the operational life of the canal was short. In 1855, the first railroad was built on the west side of the Lehigh River and the competition between them resulted in the steady decline of canal traffic.

Until 1803, the people of Northampton Town received their mail in Bethlehem. However, at the Compass and Square Hotel in Allentown's Center Square (today's Penn National Bank building), a post office was established. After reaching a population of over 700 residents in the 1810 United States Census, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania gave Northampton Town a legal existence on March 18, 1811 by incorporating it as the Borough of Northampton in Northampton County. The first business of the borough government was to order that cows be moved to pastures and off public streets, which led many citizens to conclude they were better off before the city's incorporation. In 1812, Lehigh County was formed by partitioning a section of Northampton County and Northampton, Pennsylvania was designated as the city's first county seat.

In the early 1800s, Allen's town, or Allentown, as the borough began to be called since it was no longer a part of Northampton County, continued to grow primarily as a court and market town. The name became so common that, in 1838, the name was officially changed to "Allentown." The first bank, the Northampton Bank, was chartered in July 1814 and it stood at the northeast corner of Center Square, where the Allentown National Bank Building stands today. Also during this period the first Hamilton Street Bridge, a 530-foot-long chain structure, was constructed over the Lehigh River. The bridge was composed of two suspended lanes, one for east and one for westbound traffic, and a toll house at the western end.

The 1840s were challenging to Allentown. A flood in 1841 swept away the Hamilton Street Bridge and did extensive damage to the river section of the city. The Northampton Bank failed in 1843 due to speculation and caused financial ruin to many families. Then, a large fire on June 1, 1848 burned out most of the Central Business District between Seventh and Eighth Streets on Hamilton Street. During the 1850s, however, the city recovered economically with a new bridge across the Lehigh River, brick buildings replaced the wooden ones burned down on Hamilton Street and, in 1852, the first Allentown Fair was held.

Civil War

Further information: American Civil War and Pennsylvania First Defenders

1920 postcard of West Park in Allentown. The statue is of Ignatz Gresser of Allentown, who served in the Union Army and was bestowed the Medal of Honor for acts of valor in the Battle of Antietam.

1911 photograph of the 50th reunion of the Allen Infantry, 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment at the Soldier's and Sailors Monument in center city Allentown.

Concerned about growing tensions between America's North and South and several southern states voting to secede, residents of Lehigh and Northampton counties called a public meeting in Easton on April 13, 1861 to consider the posture of affairs and to take measures for the support of the National Government. At this meeting, citizens voted to establish and equip a new military unit, the 1st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and placed Tilghman H. Good in charge of the unit, assigning him the rank of lieutenant colonel. Commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 4th Regiment at the time, Good previously served as captain of the Allen Rifles, a Lehigh County militia established in 1849, and later went on to become a three-time mayor of Allentown. Captain Samuel Yohe of Easton was appointed colonel of the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteers and Thomas W. Lynn was awarded the rank of major. William H. Gausler, the leader of another Allentown-based militia, the Jordan Artillerists, was subsequently placed in charge of the Allen Rifles.

Following the Battle of Fort Sumter and the fort's April 14 surrender to Confederate forces, President Abraham Lincoln issued his April 15, 1861 proclamation, calling for state militia to provide 75,000 volunteer troops to defend Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. In response, Allentown sent the Allen Infantry. Also known as the "Allen Guards," the unit was commanded by Captain Thomas Yeager, and mustered in for duty in Harrisburg on April 18, 1861. During their three months' service, which lasted until July 23, 1861, these Allentonians primarily performed guard duty and, as one of the first five militia units sent by Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., the Allen Infantry helped to deter the Confederate States from carrying out any plans they had to capture the nation's capital. In recognition of this early service, the soldiers from the Allen Infantry, Logan Guards (Lewistown), National Light Infantry (Pottsville), Ringgold Light Artillery (Reading), and Washington Artillerists (Pottsville) became known as "Pennsylvania First Defenders."

Both the Allen Rifles and the Jordan Artillerists were then incorporated into the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteers and mustered into service as Company I at Harrisburg on April 20, 1861, narrowly missing out on the opportunity to be declared as First Defenders. Upon completion of their three months' service, the men of Company I were honorably discharged, and also mustered out at Harrisburg on July 23, 1861.

47th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry

Main article: 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

On August 5, 1861, Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin granted authority to Tilghman H. Good to raise another new regiment, the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Commissioned as colonel of the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Good secured help from William H. Gausler, who was commissioned as a major with the regiment's central command staff, and John Peter Shindel Gobin, an officer with the Sunbury Guards in Northumberland County, who had been given the authority to form his own unit and who would later go on to become a Pennsylvania state senator and the state's Lieutenant Governor.

Companies B, G, I, and K of the 47th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry were recruited in Allentown, Company F in Catasaqua, Companies A and E in Easton Company C in Sunbury, and Companies D and H in Perry County. The only Pennsylvania regiment to fight in the Union Army's 1864 Red River campaign across Louisiana, the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers also participated in the Union Army's victory in Battle of St. Johns Bluff in Florida (October 1–3, 1862), the Battle of Pocotaligo in South Carolina (October 21–23, 1862), and General Sheridan's 1864 Shenandoah Valley campaign, including the Battles of Berryville, Opequan, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek in Virginia, and also helped to defend the nation's capital following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Other known Civil War units from Allentown included the 5th, 41st, 128th, and 176th Pennsylvania Infantries.

On October 19, 1899, the city erected and dedicated the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which still stands on Allentown's center square on South Seventh Street, in honor of Union soldiers from Allentown and local Lehigh Valley towns and boroughs who died in the Civil War.

Industrialization

Further information: Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution

The Allentown Rolling Mill Company, photographed in 1889

The Adelaide Silk Mill in Allentown, shown in 1910

Allentown's Center Square about 1910

The opening of the Lehigh Canal transformed Allentown and the Lehigh Valley from a rural agricultural area dominated by German-speaking people into an urbanized industrialized area and expanded the city's commercial and industrial capacity greatly. With this, the town underwent significant industrialization, ultimately becoming a major center for heavy industry and manufacturing.

The foundation for the city's industrial development was brought about largely by necessity. David Deshler, the city's first shopkeeper, opened a sawmill in 1782. By 1814 the list of industrial plants in the city included flour mills, sawmills, two saddle makers, a tannery and tan yard, a woolen mill, a card weaving plant, two gunsmiths, two tobacconists, two clock-makers, and two printers. In 1855, the first railroads to reach Allentown were opened, representing direct competition for the Lehigh Canal's coal transport. The Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad ordered four locomotives and stations to be erected at Easton, Allentown and Mauch Chunk. The railroad was placed in operation in September 1855. Connections to New York City were made via the Central Railroad of New Jersey and connections with Philadelphia were later made via the Perkiomen railroad, which operated between Norristown and Freemansburg.

In the 1840s, beds of iron ore were discovered in the hills around Allentown and a furnace was constructed in 1846 by the Allentown Iron Core Company for the production of pig iron. The furnace opened in 1847 under the supervision of Samuel Lewis, an expert in iron production, leading to the opening of other Allentown plants for a wide variety of metal products. The Allentown Rolling Mill Company was created in 1860 from a merger of several smaller companies and became the most significant iron company in the city. It employed many people and turned out more iron products than any other. Although not as large as the iron and steel industry in neighboring Bethlehem, in the latter half of the 19th century, Allentown became a major iron-producing center.

Henry Leh contributed significantly to the industrialization of Allentown with the opening of a shoe and ready-to-wear clothing store. The store, Leh's, opened in 1850. By 1861, Leh's provided the Union Army with much-needed military boots. During the Civil War, in addition to Leh's, eight brick yards, a saw mill, the Allentown Paint factory, two additional shoe factories, a piano factory, flour mills, breweries and distilleries opened in Allentown.

The Allentown Boiler Works was founded in 1883 by Charles Collum. He and his partner John D. Knouse built a large facility at Third and Gordon Streets in Allentown's First Ward, near the Lehigh Valley Railroad yard by Jeter's (later Kline's) Island. The business manufactured many types of iron products, some of which were used in the White House and at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Its boilers and kilns were used across the United States and abroad in Canada, Cuba, and the Philippines.

In addition to the iron and railroad industries, Allentown also developed a strong industry in the brewing of beer and was home to several notable breweries, including the Horlacher Brewery (founded 1897, closed 1978), the Neuweiler Brewery (founded 1875, closed 1968) and Schaefer Beer, whose brewery was later owned by Pabst Brewing Company and Guinness and is now owned by the Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams beer.

Brickworks flourished in the city until after World War I. The clay unearthed in various sections of the Allentown area proved highly suitable for the manufacture of building brick and fire brick. Bricks were the first products shipped outside of the Allentown area by rail and were sold nationwide. Food processing started in Allentown with the early bakers, who came into the city with the first settlers. In 1887, Wilson Arbogast and Morris C. Bastian formed Arbogast and Bastian, where commercial slaughtering was done on a large scale.

Mack Trucks assembly plant in Allentown, shown in 1945

With industrialization, Allentown also became a major banking and finance center. In 1860, William H. Ainey founded the Allentown Savings Institution and was chosen its first president. In 1863–64 the Second National Bank of Allentown was organized. Ainey was elected its first president, a position he filled until the time of his death. Ainey contributed to the industrial and retail growth of the city, helping finance The Iowa Barb Wire Co., which was later absorbed by American Steel & Wire, The Pioneer Silk Factory, The Palace Silk Mill, and the Allentown Spinning Company.

In the late 1870s Allentown's iron industry collapsed. It left the city economically depressed. To prevent this from recurring, efforts were made to diversify the city's industrial base. Convincing the Phoenix Manufacturing Company to open a silk mill in Allentown was the first major success of this effort. The success of its Adelaide mill at Race and Court Streets prompted the opening of the Pioneer silk mill in 1886 and the city emerged as one of the nation's centers for silk manufacturing. With its many ancillary businesses, the silk industry became the largest in the city and remained so until the late 20th century. By 1914, there were 26 mills in Allentown. By 1928, when rayon was introduced, the number of mills grew to 85. Over 10,000 people were employed in the Allentown silk industry at its height during the 1940s.

Hamilton Street West from Sixth Street in Allentown in 1950

Richard Nixon and his motorcade on Hamilton Street in Allentown in 1960

In 1905, Jack and Gus Mack moved their motor car plant from Brooklyn to Allentown, taking over the foundries of the former Weaver-Hirsh company on South 10th Street. By 1914, Mack Trucks developed a reputation for manufacturing sturdy and reliable trucks and vehicles. Many were sent to battlefields of the Western Front in France before the United States entered World War I in 1917. The British gave the Mack AC five and seven-ton trucks the nickname "Bulldog". Mack eventually grew to have eight manufacturing plants in Allentown.

In the post-World War II era, on October 11, 1945, Western Electric opened a plant on Allentown's Union Boulevard. On October 1, 1951, the world's first transistor production began at the Allentown Western Electric plant. The plant was at the forefront of the post-war electronics revolution.

Retailer Max Hess came to Allentown in 1896 on a business trip and envisioned a department store serving the area. He moved his family from Perth Amboy, New Jersey in 1897, and he and his brother Charles opened Hess Brothers on Ninth and Hamilton Streets. Hess Brothers became known for flamboyance, including offering the latest European fashion apparel. Opening in 1926, the Zollinger-Harned Company became Allentown's third major department store in the city's Central Business District.

The Pennsylvania guide, compiled by the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration, described the impact that Allentown's historical patterns of immigration and the Pennsylvania German community had on the city's linguistic landscape in the first half of the 20th century, noting in 1940 that:

Allentown is among the few large Pennsylvania cities where newspapers still carry columns written in the dialect. Although English predominates on the streets, there is a tendency to enunciate the 'v' with open lips, to soften the hard 'g' into 'ch,' and to use too frequently such words as 'already,' 'yet,' and 'once.' Here also are heard such colloquialisms as 'the pie is all,' (all gone) and 'it wonders (mystifies) me.'

— Federal Writers'Project, "Part II: Cities and Towns", Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State (1940)

By the mid-20th century, Allentown was a major retailing and entertainment center separate from Philadelphia and New York City. The establishment of Hess's, Leh's, and Zollinger department stores led to the growth of the retail business sector in the city's Central Business District. There were dozens of smaller retail stores, numerous restaurants, hotels, banks and professional offices in the city's "downtown", as it was then called. At least seven cinemas and stage theaters also were developed along Hamilton Street between Fifth and Tenth Streets.

Late twentieth century

Further information: Deindustrialization

Hamilton Mall, a redevelopment of the Central Business District of Allentown, in 1974

By the mid-1960s, Allentown's economy had been booming for decades, but rising taxes in the city and the inability to expand the city's legal limits began leading to a migration of the baby boom generation to towns outside the city limits. Townships such as Salisbury, South Whitehall and Whitehall had large areas of farmland that were prime locations for the development of large housing estates. Allentown began to be drained of its working class, who began migrating to the newer, less-expensive housing in suburbs offering lower taxes, green space, less crime, and newer schools.

With these demographic changes beginning in the mid-1960s and continuing into the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Allentown's city government and the Allentown School District were challenged with fewer resources. The city's financial shortcomings, in turn, further increased the number of working-class families leaving Allentown. The shortcomings of Allentown School District also contributed to the sea change in the demographics of city neighborhoods, especially those in center city. With the departure of many working class families from older center city neighborhoods, many homes were sold to landlords who converted them into inexpensive multi-family apartments, many of which became government-subsidized housing permitted under the city's lax zoning enforcement and permissive city codes.

While Allentown's neighborhoods and school system declined, the city focused much of its attention and resources on Hamilton Street retail and the Central Business District, largely ignoring the neighborhoods around them. This exacerbated the decline of the city even further. With the population growing in the Allentown suburbs, more and more shopping centers along with other services were built outside of the city to accommodate the needs of these growing communities. In 1966, the Whitehall Mall, the first closed shopping mall north of Philadelphia was opened. Ten years later, in 1976, the larger Lehigh Valley Mall was built north of U.S. Route 22. The stores in Allentown's downtown shopping district began to close, replaced with stores whose customers were less affluent than they had been historically. Large areas of Allentown's downtown were torn down for parking lots and the downtown business district was rebuilt in an attempt to compete with the emergence of suburban shopping areas. A multi-block row of stores known as the Hamilton Mall was developed, including covered sidewalks and reduced traffic. But it ultimately proved unsuccessful. Two of the city's major department stores, Leh's and Zollingers, closed by 1990. The third, Hess's, was sold to The Bon-Ton in 1994, which subsequently closed in 1996. In 1993, the Corporate Center, the city's new flagship business center on North Seventh Street, fell victim to a large sinkhole, which led to its condemnation and ultimate demolition.

Combined with the challenges confronting center city Allentown, the manufacturing economy of the Northeastern United States began suffering from deindustrialization and many of the factories and corporations headquartered in Allentown began to close or relocate. Mack Trucks relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina, LSI Corporation (formerly Western Electric) moved its headquarters to San Jose, California, and numerous factories ceased operation. With the manufacturing base of the economy eroding, more and more high-paying industrial jobs were replaced with lower-paying service sector jobs.

Twenty-first century

PPL Center's construction in east Allentown in 2013

In the 2000s and 2010s, Allentown's economy has largely consisted of service industries and some manufacturing. There also has been growth in the city's health care, transportation and warehousing industries.

The Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) operates a business incubator, the Bridgeworks, which helps attract and support young commercial and manufacturing businesses. In addition, the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) was created by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 2009 to encourage development and revitalization in Allentown. The NIZ consists of approximately 128 acres (52 hectares) in Center City Allentown and the city's new Riverfront district on the western side of the Lehigh River.

Allentown's Central Business District was redeveloped in 2014, including the construction of PPL Center arena, a 10,500-capacity indoor arena that hosts the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a professional American Hockey League ice hockey team, and other sports, entertainment and concert events. The redevelopment project also included the opening of a full-service Renaissance Hotel and redeveloped office buildings.

In April 2016, Allentown was one of only six communities in the country to be named a "national success story" by the Urban Land Institute for its downtown redevelopment and transformation that has generated nearly $1 billion in new development projects as of April 2019.

Geography

South Mountain with Allentown in the foreground, 2010

Topography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.0 square miles (46.6 km²) with 17.8 square miles (46.1 km²) of it being land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) being water. Bodies of water include the Jordan Creek and its tributary, the Little Lehigh Creek, which join within the city limits and empty into the Lehigh River. Other bodies of water within the city limits include Lake Muhlenberg in Cedar Creek Parkway and a pond in Trexler Park.

Allentown is located in the Lehigh Valley, a geographic region bounded by Blue Mountain, a ridge of the Appalachian mountain range, which varies from 1,000 to 1,600 feet (490 m) in height about 17 miles (27 km) north of the city, and South Mountain, a ridge of 500 to 1,000 feet (300 m) in height that borders the southern edge of the city. Adjacent counties include Carbon County to the north, Northampton County to the northeast and east, Bucks County to the southeast, Montgomery County to the south, and Berks County and Schuylkill County to the west.

Cityscape and neighborhoods

Main articles: List of Allentown neighborhoods and Center City, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Center City, which includes the downtown area and the 7th Street retail and residential corridor, is the city's central business district and the site of various city, county and federal government centers. To the east of Center City are "The Wards," residential areas that developed during the city's industrial boom of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Just east of the Lehigh River are the city's East Side residential neighborhoods, most of which border the various routes to nearby Bethlehem. South of Center City and across the Little Lehigh Creek are the city's South Side neighborhoods, which border Emmaus. The West End of Allentown, with a mix of commercial corridors, cultural centers, and larger single-family residences, begins approximately west of 15th Street.

Center City Allentown's tallest building is the PPL Building at 322 ft (98 m). Other center city landmarks include Allentown Art Museum, Miller Symphony Hall, the former site of Hess's Department Stores' original and flagship store, Baum School of Art, Lehigh County Historical Society and Heritage Museum, and The Liberty Bell Museum, The city's central business district has several office buildings (One City Center, the Dime Savings and Trust Company building, Two City Center, and several others are planned), an 8,641-seat indoor arena (the PPL Center) that opened in August 2014, the Americus Hotel and a Marriott Hotel, which opened in January 2015.

Architecture

Main article: Buildings and architecture of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Further information: List of historic places in Allentown, Pennsylvania

Miller Symphony Hall, located on Allentown's North Sixth Street, was originally built in the late 19th century as a market.

Allentown is characterized by a large stock of historic homes, commercial structures and century-old industrial buildings. Allentown's center city neighborhoods consist of a variety of Victorian and terraced rowhomes. The stately homes around West Park are mostly Victorian and Craftsman-style. The houses on the city's tree-lined streets in the West End were mostly built in the 1920s and 1940s. Houses in the city's East Side and South Side are a mixture of architectural styles and are generally single and twin family homes built from the 1940s through the 1960s but also include some older Victorian homes. Allentown also has loft apartments in converted mills and historic brick manufacturing buildings and modern and historic high-rise apartment buildings.

The PPL Building, at 2 North 9th Street, is Allentown's tallest building at 322 feet (98 m). It was designed by the New York City architectural firm of Helme, Corbett, and Harrison. Wallace Harrison came to Allentown to design the building, which served as a prototype for the Art Deco architecture of Rockefeller Center in New York City. The decorative friezes on the exterior of the building were designed by Alexander Archipenko. It was built between 1926 and 1928 and opened to the public on July 16, 1928. The building has been illuminated at night since its 1928 opening and, in clear weather, can be seen from as far north as the Blue Mountain Ski Area. The PPL Building is featured in the 1954 movie Executive Suite.

One of the city's older surviving structures, Miller Symphony Hall, at 23 North Sixth Street, dates from 1896 and originally housed the city's public market. It is the premier performing arts facility in Allentown with 1,100 seats and home of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. Built around 1896 as the Central Market Hall, the structure was converted to a theater in 1899 by the architectural firm of J. B. McElfatrick and renamed the Lyric Theater. It is one of roughly a dozen famous McElfatrick designs still standing and has been used for burlesque shows, vaudeville, silent films, symphony orchestras, and other forms of entertainment for well over a century. Other performing arts facilities and programs include the Pennsylvania Sinfonia, Community Concerts of Allentown, Allentown Band, and Community Music School of the Lehigh Valley.

There are three historic districts in Allentown: Old Allentown, the Old Fairgrounds and the West Park neighborhoods. Old Allentown and Old Fairgrounds are Center City neighborhoods that hold a joint house tour organized by the Old Allentown Preservation Association (OAPA) once a year in September. The West Park neighborhood also offers a tour of this district's larger Victorian and Craftsman-style homes.

Allentown is home to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, one of the nation's largest amusement and water parks. Dorney Park's Steel Force rollercoaster is the world's tenth longest steel rollercoaster.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Under the Köppen climate classification, Allentown falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) if the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm is used or a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm is used. Summers are typically warm and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cool to cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year.

The average temperature in January is 30.1 °F (−1.1 °C) and the lowest officially-recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) on January 21, 1994. July averages 75.6 °F (24.2 °C) and the highest temperature on record was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 3, 1966. February is generally the driest month with only 2.77 inches (70 mm) of average precipitation. Only January averages below freezing, as compared to two months with the 1981-2010 normals, seven months averaging above 50 °F (10 °C,) and two months averaging above 22 °C (71.6 °F.)

Snowfall is variable with some winters bringing light snow and others bringing numerous significant snowstorms. Average snowfall is 33.1 inches (84 cm) seasonally, with the month of February receiving the highest snowfall at just below 11 inches (280 mm). Rainfall is generally spread throughout the year with eight to twelve wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 43.5 inches (110.5 cm).

Allentown falls under the USDA 6b Plant Hardiness zone, now 7a under the 1991 to 2020 climate normals mean minimum.

Climate data for Allentown, Pennsylvania (Lehigh Valley Int'l), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1922–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	72 (22)	81 (27)	87 (31)	93 (34)	97 (36)	100 (38)	105 (41)	100 (38)	99 (37)	93 (34)	81 (27)	72 (22)	105 (41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	60 (16)	61 (16)	71 (22)	83 (28)	89 (32)	93 (34)	95 (35)	93 (34)	89 (32)	80 (27)	71 (22)	62 (17)	96 (36)
Average high °F (°C)	38.4 (3.6)	41.6 (5.3)	50.8 (10.4)	63.4 (17.4)	73.5 (23.1)	81.9 (27.7)	86.4 (30.2)	84.3 (29.1)	77.4 (25.2)	65.5 (18.6)	53.8 (12.1)	43.1 (6.2)	63.3 (17.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	30.1 (−1.1)	32.4 (0.2)	40.7 (4.8)	51.8 (11.0)	62.0 (16.7)	70.9 (21.6)	75.6 (24.2)	73.6 (23.1)	66.3 (19.1)	54.6 (12.6)	43.9 (6.6)	35.0 (1.7)	53.1 (11.7)
Average low °F (°C)	21.8 (−5.7)	23.2 (−4.9)	30.5 (−0.8)	40.3 (4.6)	50.6 (10.3)	59.9 (15.5)	64.7 (18.2)	62.8 (17.1)	55.2 (12.9)	43.8 (6.6)	34.1 (1.2)	26.8 (−2.9)	42.8 (6.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	4 (−16)	6 (−14)	14 (−10)	26 (−3)	35 (2)	47 (8)	54 (12)	51 (11)	40 (4)	29 (−2)	19 (−7)	12 (−11)	2 (−17)
Record low °F (°C)	−15 (−26)	−12 (−24)	−5 (−21)	12 (−11)	28 (−2)	39 (4)	46 (8)	41 (5)	30 (−1)	21 (−6)	3 (−16)	−8 (−22)	−15 (−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.30 (84)	2.77 (70)	3.63 (92)	3.67 (93)	3.65 (93)	4.40 (112)	5.30 (135)	4.56 (116)	4.84 (123)	4.14 (105)	3.24 (82)	3.86 (98)	47.36 (1,203)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	9.8 (25)	10.8 (27)	6.3 (16)	0.5 (1.3)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	0.9 (2.3)	4.6 (12)	33.1 (84)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	11.4	10.1	10.9	11.8	12.4	11.4	11.0	10.2	9.6	9.9	8.9	11.5	129.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	5.1	4.3	2.6	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	2.9	15.7
Average relative humidity (%)	70	66	62	61	66	68	70	72	74	72	70	71	69
Percent possible sunshine	43	48	53	47	54	63	57	56	54	53	45	42	51
Source: NOAA (relative humidity 1981–2010)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	486		—
1800	573		17.9%
1810	710		23.9%
1820	1,132		59.4%
1830	1,757		55.2%
1840	2,493		41.9%
1850	3,703		48.5%
1860	8,025		116.7%
1870	13,884		73.0%
1880	18,063		30.1%
1890	25,288		40.0%
1900	35,416		40.1%
1910	51,913		46.6%
1920	73,502		41.6%
1930	92,563		25.9%
1940	96,904		4.7%
1950	106,756		10.2%
1960	108,347		1.5%
1970	109,871		1.4%
1980	103,758		−5.6%
1990	105,301		1.5%
2000	106,632		1.3%
2010	118,032		10.7%
2020	125,845		6.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2000 U.S. census, there were 106,632 people and 25,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,011.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,320.8/km²). There were 45,960 housing units at an average density of 2,591.1 per square mile (1,000.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.55% White, 7.85% African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.27% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 13.37% from other races, and 3.55% from two or more races. 24.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

Allentown Compared
2010 Census	Allentown	PA	U.S.
Total population	118,032	12,702,379	308,745,538
Population, percent change, 2000–2010	+10.7%	+3.4%	+9.7%
Population density	6,557.3/sq. mi.	275.8/sq. mi.	81.4/sq. mi.
White (non-Hispanic)	43.2%	79.5%	63.7%
Black (non-Hispanic)	11.6%	10.8%	12.2%
Hispanic (any race)	42.8%	5.7%	16.3%
Asian	2.2%	2.7%	4.8%

There were 42,032 households in the city, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18, 39.4% had married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% had non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The city's average household size is 2.42 and the average family size was 3.09.

The city's population broken down by age ranges was 24.8% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% 65 years or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,016, and the median income for a family was $37,356. Males had a median income of $30,426 versus $23,882 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,282. 18.5% of the population and 14.6% of families were below the poverty line. 29.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The unemployment rate for the entire Lehigh Valley area is 9.8% as of February 2010, with Allentown's unemployment rate estimated at over 10%.

Crime

For 2010, crime was down in the City of Allentown for the fourth consecutive year. The decline was led by a 31 percent drop in the number of homicides from 13 to 9. Motor vehicle theft fell 11 percent. Burglary was down 6 percent. Reported robberies, rapes and property crimes also fell. There were slight increases in the number of aggravated assaults and arsons. The number of violent crimes in the city fell more than 30 percent since 2006.

Economy

See also: Economy of Allentown, Pennsylvania and List of shopping malls in the Lehigh Valley

Allentown's economy has historically been manufacturing-based, but with a more recent turn to a more service-oriented economy due to general Rust Belt decline in heavy industry beginning around 1980. The city serves as the location of corporate headquarters for Air Products and Chemicals, Talen Energy, PPL, and other companies. The largest employer in Allentown, as of 2007, is Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, with more than 7,800 employees.

Allentown's center city area along Hamilton Street between 5th and 10th Streets used to be the primary shopping district in Allentown. During the 1960s and 1970s, however, several shopping malls were built in and around Allentown, including South Mall, Lehigh Valley Mall, and Whitehall Mall and today represent the most popular shopping destinations. In 2006, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley opened south of the city, in Upper Saucon Township.

Arts and culture

Nineteenth Street Theater in Allentown, 2004

Main article: Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Museums and cultural organizations

• Allentown Art Museum, art cultural heritage
• Allentown Band, civilian concert band
• Allentown Public Library
• Allentown Symphony Orchestra
• America On Wheels, automotive transportation
• Baum School of Art, non-profit community art school
• Chen Arts Group
• Da Vinci Science Center, science
• Lehigh County Historical Society and Lehigh Valley Heritage Center Museum, local history
• Lehigh Valley Arts Council
• Liberty Bell Museum, historical museum
• Mack Trucks Historical Museum, automotive transportation museum
• Marine Band of Allentown
• Municipal Band of Allentown
• MunOpCo Music Theatre
• Museum of Indian Culture, Native American history and culture
• Nineteenth Street Theater
• Pioneer Band of Allentown
• The Theatre Outlet

Festivals

The Great Allentown Fair runs annually, in early September, on the grounds of the Allentown Fairgrounds, where it has been held since 1889. The first Allentown Fair was held in 1852, and between 1852 and 1899 it was held at the "Old Allentown Fairgrounds," which was located north of Liberty Street between 5th and 6th Streets. The J. Birney Crum Stadium plays host to the Collegiate Marching Band Festival, held annually since 1995, and other marching band festivals and competitions. "Blues, Brews, and Barbeque," which launched in 2014, is held annually in June on Hamilton Street between 5th and 6th Streets.

Arts and entertainment

The Allentown Symphony Orchestra performs at Miller Symphony Hall, located on North Sixth Street in center city. The city also has a musical heritage of civilian concert bands and is home to the Allentown Band, the oldest civilian concert band in the United States. The Allentown Band, Marine Band of Allentown, Municipal Band of Allentown and the Pioneer Band of Allentown all regularly perform at the bandshell in the city's West Park. Youth Education in the Arts, the sponsoring organization of The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, is headquartered in Allentown. The city's J. Birney Crum Stadium annually plays host to the Drum Corps International Eastern Classic, which brings together the top junior drum and bugle corps in the world for a two-day event.

The city houses a collection of public sculptures, including the DaVinci Horse, located on Fifth Street. This sculpture is one of three in the world.

The Allentown Art Museum, located on North Fifth Street in Center City, is home to a collection of more than 13,000 pieces of art, along with an associated library. The Baum School of Art, located in downtown Allentown at Fifth and Linden Streets, offers credit and non-credit classes in painting, drawing, ceramics, fashion design, jewelry making and more.

Nineteenth Street Theater has an 80-plus year history of producing theater in the Lehigh Valley. Started by two Morning Call reporters in 1927 as "Civic Little Theater", the current day Nineteenth Street Theater relies on a paid professional staff, a volunteer board of directors from the community, and volunteers from the region. Civic Theater stands on three pillars: theater, film and education. It is a professionally directed, managed and run theater that utilizes community actors in its live theater productions. Civic Theater also operates the Lehigh Valley's only full-time cinema exclusively showing art, independent and foreign films and a theater school that has served the Valley's youth for more than 50 years.

Landmarks and popular locations

See also: List of historic places in Allentown, Pennsylvania; List of city parks and recreation facilities of Allentown, Pennsylvania; and National Register of Historic Places listings in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

The Soldiers and Sailors monument at Center Square, at the corner of Seventh and Hamilton Streets, honors Allentown and Lehigh Valley soldiers in the Union Army who were killed in the American Civil War. The monument is topped by a statue representing the Goddess of Liberty. The monument was unveiled on October 19, 1899. In 1957, the statue atop the monument was removed due to its state of disrepair and was replaced with a new one in 1964.

Cuisine

A cafe on 19th Street in Allentown's West End, 2007.

Vestiges of Allentown's Pennsylvania German heritage are present in its cuisine. Foodstuffs such as scrapple, chow-chow, Lebanon bologna, cole slaw and apple butter are often found offered in local diners and the Allentown Farmer's Market. Shoofly pie, birch beer, and funnel cakes are regularly found at local fairs. Several local churches make and sell fastnachts in fundraisers for Fastnacht Day, the day before the start of Lent.

As the Allentown's population has increased, many national restaurant and fast food chains have established a presence in the city. Growth of the city's ethnic populations also has led to the opening of many family-run restaurants specializing in ethnic cuisine, including Chinese, Colombian, Dominican, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Lebanese, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Thai and West Indian.

Due in part to Allentown's proximity to Philadelphia, cheesesteaks are popular. Yocco's Hot Dogs, a regionally well-known hot dog and cheesesteak establishment with six area locations, was founded in 1922 by Theodore Iacocca, uncle of Lee Iacocca. A-Treat, a regionally-popular soft drinks, has been manufactured and based in Allentown since 1918.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Allentown, Pennsylvania

See also: History of baseball in Allentown, Pennsylvania

PPL Center in Allentown, 2017

Professional baseball has a rich history in Allentown, dating back to 1884. The city hosts the Philadelphia Phillies' AAA-level Minor League baseball team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In 2008, Allentown unveiled Coca-Cola Park, a $50.25 million, 8,100-seat stadium on the east-side of Allentown.

In 2014, the PPL Center, an 8,500-seat Ice hockey arena opened as the home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The arena is located in downtown Allentown, taking up the entire block between Seventh and Eighth Streets and Hamilton Boulevard and Linden Streets. In a controversial decision, the city invoked eminent domain to help obtain the necessary properties for the PPL Center's construction, and a contractor was chosen in 2012. In January 2012, buildings on the current site began to be demolished to make room for the new arena.

Allentown hosted the Allentown Jets, a Continental Basketball Association team from 1958 to 1981. The Jets were one of the most dominant franchises in the league's history, winning eight playoff championships and twelve division titles. The team's home games were played in Rockne Hall at Allentown Central Catholic High School.

The city is home to the Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center, which has been the training ground for numerous Olympians and U.S. national gymnastics champions. In 2003, CNN aired a documentary on Parkettes, Achieving the Perfect 10, which depicted Parkettes as a hugely demanding and competitive gymnastics training center.

Allentown has been home to two professional soccer teams. The Pennsylvania Stoners (1979–1983) (2007–2009) and the Northampton Laurels FC, of the Women's Premier Soccer League (defunct). Lehigh Valley United, a member of soccer's USL League Two league, is based in Allentown.

Parks and recreation

Main article: List of city parks and recreation facilities of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Much of Allentown's park system is attributable to the efforts of industrialist Harry Clay Trexler. Inspired by the City Beautiful movement in the early 20th century, Trexler helped create West Park, a 6.59-acre (26,700 m²) park in what was then a community trash pit and sandlot baseball field in an upscale area of the city. The park, which opened in 1909, features a bandshell, designed by noted Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, which has long been home to the Allentown Band and other community bands. Trexler also facilitated the development of Trexler Park, Cedar Parkway, Allentown Municipal Golf Course and the Trout Nursery in Lehigh Parkway. Trexler was also responsible for the development of the Trexler Trust, which to this day continues to provide private funding for the maintenance and development of Allentown's park system.

City parks in Allentown include Bicentennial Park (a 4,600 seat mini-stadium built for sporting events), Cedar Creek Parkway (127 acres, including Lake Muhlenberg, Cedar Beach and the Malcolm W. Gross Memorial Rose Garden), East Side Reservoir (15 acres), Irving Street Park, Kimmets Lock Park (5 acres), Lehigh Canal Park (55 acres), Lehigh Parkway (999 acres), Old Allentown Cemetery (4 acres), Jordan Park, South Mountain Reservoir (157 acres), Trexler Memorial Park (134 acres), Trout Creek Parkway (100 acres), Joe Daddona Park (19 acres), Keck Park, Percy Ruhe Park (Alton Park) and West Park (6.59 acres).

Government

See also: List of mayors of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown is legally classified as a Pennsylvania third-class city. It has operated with the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government since 1970. The mayor serves as chief executive and administrative officer for the municipality, and the city council serves as the legislative and oversight body providing checks and balances on the system.

Elected "at-large," the mayor serves a four-year term under the city's home rule charter. The current city mayor is Democrat Matthew Tuerk. The legislative branch, the Allentown City Council, consists of seven council members elected at large for four-year staggered terms. City Council holds regular public meetings in order to enact legislation in the form of ordinances and resolutions. The current president of the City Council is Julio Guridy. The City Controller, who is responsible for the oversight of the city's finances, is also elected and serves a four-year term.

Federally, Allentown is part of Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district, represented by Democrat Susan Wild. The United States Senators are Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. and Republican Pat Toomey. The Governor of Pennsylvania is Democrat Tom Wolf.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Main article: Allentown School District

William Allen High School, one of two public high schools in Allentown

The City of Allentown is served by the Allentown School District. A small portion of the city located near Trexler Park is serviced by the Parkland School District. The city maintains two public high schools for grades 9–12, William Allen High School, which serves students from the southern and western parts of the city, and Louis E. Dieruff High School, which serves students from the eastern and northern parts. Each of these Allentown area high schools competes athletically in the East Penn Conference. Both schools play their home football games at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Students may also attend Newcomer Academy at Midway Manor or the Allentown School District Virtual Academy (grades 8–12).

Allentown School District's four middle schools, for grades 6–8, include: Francis D. Raub Middle School, Harrison-Morton Middle School, South Mountain Middle School and Trexler Middle School. The city is served by 16 elementary schools, for kindergarten through fifth grade, including: Central, Cleveland, Hiram W. Dodd, Jefferson, Lehigh Parkway, Lincoln, Luis A. Ramos, McKinley, Midway Manor, Mosser, Muhlenberg, Ritter, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Union Terrace and Washington.

Allentown has two public charter schools: the Roberto Clemente Charter School, located at 4th and Walnut Streets in Allentown, is a Title I charter school which provides educational services to mainly Hispanic students in grades 6 through 12 and the Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School provides a K-12th program and is located at 1414 E. Cedar Street.

Allentown has two parochial high schools, Allentown Central Catholic High School and Lehigh Valley Christian High School, though both schools draw students from both Allentown and the city's suburbs. Other Allentown-based parochial schools (serving grades K-8) include: Saint John Vianney Regional School, Holy Spirit School, Lehigh Christian Academy, Mercy Special Learning Center, Our Lady Help of Christians School, Sacred Heart School, and Saint Thomas More School. The Roman Catholic-affiliated parochial schools in Allentown are operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown. The Grace Montessori School is a pre-school and early elementary Montessori school run as an outreach of Grace Episcopal Church. The city also has a private Jewish school, the Jewish Day School.

Allentown also has two independent day schools, CAI Learning Academy and The Swain School, both of which are ranked among the best in eastern Pennsylvania. After graduation, most students continue on to local public high schools, Moravian Academy, or boarding schools throughout the Northeast.

Colleges and universities

The Baum School of Art on Linden Street in center city Allentown, 2009

Two four-year colleges, Cedar Crest College and Muhlenberg College, are located in Allentown. A satellite campus of Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC), a comprehensive community college that offers two-year and four-year degree programs, continuing education and industry training, is located in center city Allentown. Pennsylvania State University's Lehigh Valley campus is located in Center Valley, approximately nine miles away from the city.

Other nearby universities include Moravian University and Lehigh University in Bethlehem and Lafayette College in Easton.

Media

The Morning Call building on North Sixth Street in Allentown

Main article: Media in the Lehigh Valley

See also: List of newspapers in Pennsylvania, List of radio stations in Pennsylvania, and List of television stations in Pennsylvania

Allentown's media includes print, web, radio and television outlets. Allentown has two daily newspapers, The Morning Call and The Express-Times, and several weekly and monthly print publications.

Nielsen Audio ranks Allentown as the 74th largest radio market in the United States as of 2022. Stations licensed to Allentown include WAEB-AM (talk, news and sports), WAEB-FM (Top 40 music), WDIY (NPR and public radio), WHOL (rhythmic contemporary), WLEV (adult contemporary music), WMUH (Muhlenberg College campus radio), WSAN (oldies music and Philadelphia Phillies broadcasts), WZZO (classic rock music), and others. In addition, many New York City and Philadelphia stations can be received in Allentown.

Two television stations are based in the city. WFMZ-TV Channel 69, based in Allentown with studios and a transmitting site atop South Mountain, is an independent station. WLVT-TV is the local PBS affiliate.

Allentown is part of the Philadelphia media market, the fourth largest television market in the nation. Major Philadelphia-based network stations serving Allentown include KYW-TV (CBS), WCAU (NBC), WPVI-TV (ABC) and WTXF-TV (Fox). In addition, many Scranton/Wilkes-Barre stations can be received in Allentown. There are also other network and local television stations.

Infrastructure

Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown, 2007

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in the Lehigh Valley

Further information: Lehigh Valley Transit Company and Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority

Roads and buses

See also: Allentown Parking Authority

Four expressways run through the Allentown area with associated exits to the city: Interstate 78 runs from Lebanon County in the west to the Holland Tunnel, Lower Manhattan, and New York City in the east; the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, (which is part of I-476) runs from Plymouth Meeting outside Philadelphia in the south to Interstate 81 at Clarks Summit in the north; Pennsylvania Route 309 runs from Philadelphia in the south to Wyoming Valley in the north; and U.S. Route 22 runs from Cincinnati, Ohio in the west to Newark, New Jersey in the east.

There are nine major inbound roads to Allentown: Airport Road, Cedar Crest Boulevard, Fullerton Avenue, Hamilton Boulevard, Lehigh Street, Mauch Chunk Road, MacArthur Road, Tilghman Street, and Union Boulevard.

Public buses within Allentown are provided by LANTA, a bus system serving Lehigh and Northampton Counties. The Allentown Transportation Center in downtown Allentown serves as a major hub for LANTA buses. Multiple private bus lines serve Allentown at the intercity terminal at 325 Hamilton Street. These include Trans-Bridge Lines and Greyhound Lines, which offer direct service to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal and intermediate points, and Fullington Trailways. which offers direct service to Williamsport, Hazleton, Philadelphia. and intermediate points. Martz Trailways stops in Allentown as part of its route between Scranton-Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia and as part of its commuter routes to New York City, which are part of the Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach route that connects Amtrak trains at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Public parking within Allentown is managed by the Allentown Parking Authority.

Rail

See also: Allentown station (Central Railroad of New Jersey) and Allentown station (Lehigh Valley Railroad)

1915 postcard of the Lehigh Valley Railroad station in Allentown

Allentown was once a passenger rail hub served by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (using the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad), Lehigh and New England Railroad, Lehigh Valley Railroad, the Reading Railroad, the Lehigh Valley Transit Company and later, Conrail. Routes served Wilkes-Barre and Scranton to the north, Buffalo and Williamsport to the northwest, Reading and Harrisburg to the west, Jersey City and New York City to the east, and Philadelphia to the south.

Allentown currently has no passenger rail service. The last service by SEPTA ceased operating in 1979, but one of SEPTA's two main train stations in Allentown remains standing. In commercial rail, the Norfolk Southern Lehigh Line runs through the city, heading east across the Delaware River. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Reading Line also runs through Allentown heading west to Reading.

In November 2008, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), along with both Lehigh and Northampton Counties, commissioned a study to explore restoring part of the Black Diamond service, which ran until 1961, by extending New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line to Allentown.

In September 2020 Amtrak proposed its Amtrak 2035 expansion plan that includes possible restoration of rail service between Allentown and New York City by 2035. Use of this mostly single-track route by Amtrak has consistently been opposed by the Norfolk Southern Railway, which acquired ownership of the Lehigh Line when it purchased the federally-founded Conrail Corporation in 1999.

Allentown is a regional center for commercial freight rail traffic. Norfolk Southern's primary Northeast hump classification yards are located in Allentown, and the city is also served by the R.J. Corman Railroad Group, a commercial railroad company.

Airports

Lehigh Valley International Airport is three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown in Hanover Township

The city's primary airport, Lehigh Valley International Airport, is located three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown in Hanover Township and is operated by the Lehigh–Northampton Airport Authority. The airport has direct flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Detroit, Philadelphia, and multiple cities in Florida. The region is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport, a two-runway facility located on Lehigh Street in South Allentown and used predominantly for private aviation.

Utilities

Electricity in Allentown is provided by PPL Corporation, which is also headquartered in Allentown. UGI Corporation, headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, supplies natural gas. Two cable companies, RCN Corporation, based in Princeton, New Jersey, and Service Electric, based in Bethlehem, have provided cable service to Allentown since the 1960s. The area's only landfill, Waste Connections of Canada, is locally headquartered in Bethlehem. Water and sewage, prior to 2013, were controlled by the city and are now under the operation of Lehigh County authority following the end of a 50-year lease agreement. Waste, recycling, and yard waste are each administered by the city.

Health care

Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, 2008

Allentown's largest hospital is Lehigh Valley Hospital, located on Cedar Crest Boulevard and part of Lehigh Valley Health Network. St. Luke's University Health Network, Sacred Heart Hospital, and the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network also provide hospital and rehabilitation services. Allentown State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Allentown, was closed in 2010 as part of widespread psychiatric hospital closings by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

Fire department

See also: List of Pennsylvania fire departments

The Allentown Fire Department was established in 1870. It operates out of six fire stations.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from the Lehigh Valley

Allentown is the birthplace of, or home to, several notable Americans, including:

• Stephen Barrett, psychiatrist and webmaster, Quackwatch
• Clair Blank, author, Beverly Gray
• Chakaia Booker, artist
• Lillian Briggs, singer
• Thom Browne, fashion designer
• Frank Buchman, founder of the Oxford Group and Moral Re-Armament religious movements
• Howard J. Buss, composer and music publisher
• Jalen Cannon, college basketball player, St. Francis College and Northeast Conference player of the year in 2014–15.
• Leon Carr, Broadway composer and television advertising songwriter
• Gregory Coates, artist
• Alexis Cohen, contestant American Idol seasons 7 and 8
• Michaela Conlin, actress, Fox's Bones
• Sally Daley, church organist and composer
• Dane DeHaan, actor, HBO's In Treatment and Chronicle
• Devon, porn star
• Gloria Ehret, professional golfer, winner of the 1966 LPGA Championship
• Oakes Fegley, actor
• Victoria Fuller, sculptor
• James Knoll Gardner, judge
• Peter Gruner, professional wrestler known as Billy Kidman
• Scott Haltzman, psychiatrist, relationship counselor, and author
• Tim Heidecker, star of Adult Swim show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
• Lee Iacocca, former chairman of Chrysler Corporation
• Keith Jarrett, jazz musician
• Michael Johns, health care executive and former White House speechwriter
• Sarah Knauss, supercentenarian, longest-lived American ever, second-oldest person verified to have ever lived
• Brian Knobbs, former professional wrestler
• Sally Kohn, journalist and political commentator
• Varvara Lepchenko, professional tennis player
• William Marchant, playwright and screenwriter
• Tim Mayza, professional baseball player, Toronto Blue Jays
• Ed McCaffrey, former professional football player, Denver Broncos, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers
• Daniel McNeill, Pennsylvania state legislator
• Henry Messinger, Pennsylvania state senator
• Lara Jill Miller, voice actress, Cartoon Network's The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
• Hans Moller, painter
• Jefferson Franklin Moser, United States Navy admiral
• Aimee Mullins, ParaOlympian, model, actress
• Lawrence Nuesslein, Olympic shooter, 1920 Summer Olympics
• Lil Peep, rapper, singer, songwriter, and model
• Marty Ravellette, armless graduate of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network who saved elderly woman from burning car
• Anthony Recker, professional baseball player, Atlanta Braves
• Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins
• Ian Riccaboni, author and broadcaster, Ring of Honor wrestling
• Matthew Riddle, professional UFC mixed martial fighter
• Harvey Miguel Robinson, serial killer
• Jerry Sags, former professional wrestler
• Larry Seiple, NFL punter, two-time Super Bowl champion
• Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, The CW's Veronica Mars, HBO's Big Love and the films Mamma Mia!, Dear John, Jennifer's Body and Les Misérables
• Andrea Tantaros, political analyst and commentator
• Christine Taylor, actress and wife of actor Ben Stiller
• Mildred Ladner Thompson, former reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Tulsa World
• DeNorval Unthank, physician and civil rights activist
• Boris Vallejo, Peruvian-born artist
• Donald Voorhees, Emmy-nominated orchestral conductor
• Jamie Weinstein, political journalist and commentator
• Lauren Weisberger, author, The Devil Wears Prada
• Hana Wirth-Nesher, literary scholar and university professor
• Joe Wolf, former professional football player, Arizona Cardinals
• Chris Wyles, professional rugby union player, Saracens, and former USA Eagle player in Sevens and Fifteens

In popular culture

See also: Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown's reputation as a rugged blue-collar city has led to many references in popular culture:

• Parts of the 2019 movie Glass were filmed at Allentown State Hospital and elsewhere in Allentown.
• Part of the 2005 music video for the song "Dirty Little Secret" by The All-American Rejects was shot at various Allentown locations.
• The city is the subject of the popular Billy Joel song, "Allentown," originally released on The Nylon Curtain album in 1982. The song uses Allentown as a metaphor for the resilience of working class Americans in distressed industrial cities during the recession of the early 1980s.
• The outskirts of the city are the theme behind the song "Half-Mile from Allentown" from the Pennsylvania-based group The Chairman Dances.
• The song "200 Years Old," which appears on Frank Zappa's 1975 album Bongo Fury, mentions Allentown.
• Hiding The Bell, a 1968 historical fiction novel by Ruth Nulton Moore, chronicles the hiding of the Liberty Bell in Allentown in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War.
• Allentown is mentioned in several Broadway musicals, including 42nd Street and Bye Bye Birdie.
• Exterior shots of Allentown's PPL Building are featured in the 1954 movie Executive Suite.

Further reading

• Adams, Anna. "Perception Matters: Pentecostal Latinas in Allentown, Pennsylvania." in A reader in Latina feminist theology (U of Texas Press, 2021) pp. 98–113.
• Lee, George A. "Negroes in a Medium-Sized Metropolis: Allentown, Pennsylvania--A Case Study." Journal of Negro Education 37.4 (1968): 397–405. online
• Marzan, Gilbert. "Still Looking for that Elsewhere: Puerto Rican Poverty and Migration in the Northeast." Centro Journal (2009) 21#1 pp 100–117 online; full coverage on Allentown.
• Sandoval, Edgar. The New Face of Small-town America: Snapshots of Latino Life in Allentown, Pennsylvania (Penn State Press, 2010).

External links

• Official website
• Allentown news at The Morning Call