Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch: Allenschteddel) is a city in
Lehigh County in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The US The
Census Bureau recorded a population of 125,845 as of the 2020
census. Allentown is the third largest city in Pennsylvania
after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Allentown is located on the
Lehigh River and is the county seat of Lehigh County. The city
and its surroundings have been an important center for
German-Americans since the 18th century, whose ancestors mainly
emigrated from the Palatinate. Since the 1980s, immigrants from
Central and South America (Hispanics and Latinos respectively)
have increasingly moved to Allentown and now make up the
majority of the population.
Billy Joel's song Allentown,
which appeared on his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, is about
Allentown and neighboring Bethlehem, both industrial cities in
decline (see Rust Belt).
The Albertus L. Meyers Bridge, better known by its former name Eighth
Street Bridge, spans the deep-cut Little Lehigh Creek, connecting
downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania, with its southern boroughs. When it
opened in 1913, it was probably the longest and highest reinforced
concrete road bridge in the world.
The Albertus L. Meyers Bridge
carries South Eighth Street with three lanes and a sidewalk on both
sides over the approximately 42 m deep valley and Martin Luther King Jr.
Drive, which runs along the valley floor. On the initially slightly
sloping southern slope, it also crosses Harrison Street, which runs
directly below it.
The Albertus L. Meyers Bridge is 597 m
(1959 ft) long and 13.72 m wide and consists of 9 arches with spans of
36.58 m (120 ft) and 6 flat pate bridges in the Harrison Street area,
the are faced with a shell that suggest a flat arch. 2 slab bridges in
the area of the northern end of the bridge are covered by the vegetation
of the last hundred years and the adjacent buildings.
The arches
each consist of two parallel arch ribs supported on each side by two
separate piers that reach up to the deck slab. The ribs of the arch and
the pillars are connected just below the deck by slabs in the shape of a
semicircular arch, which stiffen them and support the deck.
A
property company was founded as early as 1900 and began buying land for
the bridge. Initially, a steel truss bridge was planned, the
superstructure of which was to be erected by a German company. However,
construction suddenly stopped. It was only years later that the local
tram company, which had since been founded, received the right to lay a
route along Eighth Street over a bridge that was to be built. This time
it should be a concrete bridge. Construction work began in July 1912 and
ended with the opening ceremony on November 17, 1913. The bridge was a
toll road until 1957.
In 1974 it was named after the then
83-year-old band leader Albertus L. Meyers, who had spent his musical
life in Allentown and had already played the cornet in the brass band at
the opening ceremony.
In June 1988, the bridge was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places as a structure worthy of protection
under number 88000870.
Pre-Colonial and Early Settlement (Before 1762)
The area that
would become Allentown was originally inhabited by the Lenape (Delaware)
Indigenous people, who lived in small villages along waterways like the
Lehigh River and Jordan Creek. They fished for trout, hunted deer,
grouse, and other game, and practiced agriculture. European contact
began in the early 18th century as part of Pennsylvania's colonial
expansion. In 1732, Thomas Penn, son of William Penn (founder of
Pennsylvania), deeded land in the region to Joseph Turner, a
Philadelphia iron manufacturer and politician. By 1735, William Allen—a
wealthy shipping merchant, Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme
Court, and former mayor of Philadelphia—purchased a 5,000-acre tract
from Turner's partner. This land included much of present-day Allentown.
The infamous Walking Purchase of 1737, a controversial agreement where
Penn's sons acquired vast lands from the Lenape in exchange for minimal
goods (such as shoes, hats, knives, rum, and pipes), further opened the
area to settlement. Surveys in 1736 and 1753 laid out roads from Easton
to Reading, passing through the region. Allen built a log house around
1740 near Jordan Creek as a hunting and fishing lodge, entertaining
prominent guests like colonial governors James Hamilton and John Penn.
By 1752, Northampton and Berks counties were formed, with the area
falling under Northampton County.
Founding and Revolutionary Era
(1762–1800)
Allentown was officially founded in 1762 by William
Allen, who laid out the town on a grid between 4th and 10th streets and
Union and Liberty streets. Originally named Northampton Towne (or
Northampton Town), its streets were named after Allen's family and
associates: Margaret (now 5th Street) for his daughter, William (6th
Street) for his son, Allen (7th Street) for himself, and others like
Hamilton, Chew, and Turner. Allen envisioned it as a commercial hub due
to its strategic location near the Lehigh River and proximity to
Philadelphia, hoping to make it the county seat over Easton. However,
political influences from the Penn family thwarted this in 1763. In
1767, Allen deeded the land to his son James.
The town grew slowly,
with about 330 residents and 54 homes by the eve of the American
Revolution. During the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), Allentown strongly
supported the Patriot cause. A Committee of Observation formed in
December 1774 to enforce boycotts and expel Loyalists. Local militias
supplied provisions to the Continental Army, and after the Battles of
Lexington and Concord in 1775, many joined George Washington's forces.
Hessian prisoners were held in the area, and four hospitals treated
wounded soldiers, including at Zion Reformed Church and the Farr
Building.
A pivotal moment came in September 1777, when British
forces occupied Philadelphia after the Battle of Brandywine. To prevent
capture, Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council ordered the removal of
bells from the city, including the State House Bell (now the Liberty
Bell). Farmers John Snyder and Henry Bartholomew transported it to
Allentown, where it was hidden under the floorboards of Zion Reformed
Church at 622 Hamilton Street until June 1778. Other wartime activities
included a relocated paper cartridge and musket factory from Bethlehem
and an armory on Little Lehigh Creek for weapon repairs.
Post-war,
Allentown developed as a rural market town. By 1782, it had 59 houses
and over 100 cows; by 1795, about 90 dwellings, churches, an academy,
and merchant mills. The population was predominantly German-speaking,
reflecting waves of Pennsylvania Dutch immigration.
19th Century:
Growth, Incorporation, and Industrialization (1800–1900)
The 19th
century marked Allentown's transformation into an industrial center. A
post office opened in 1803 at the Compass and Square Hotel. The 1810
census recorded over 700 residents. On March 18, 1811, it was
incorporated as the Borough of Northampton in Northampton County. In
1812, Lehigh County was carved from Northampton County, with Northampton
Town as its seat. Infrastructure boomed: the Northampton Bank was
chartered in 1814, and the first Hamilton Street Bridge (a 530-foot
chain structure) crossed the Lehigh River that year.
Transportation
advancements fueled growth. The Lehigh Canal, completed in 1829 along
the river's east side, enabled anthracite coal transport from mines in
Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe) to markets in Philadelphia and New York.
Railroads followed, with the first in 1855 on the west side, surpassing
the canal for coal shipment. In 1838, the borough was renamed Allentown
in honor of its founder.
Challenges included an 1841 flood destroying
the bridge, the 1843 bank failure causing economic hardship, and a
devastating 1848 fire in the central business district. Recovery was
swift: a new bridge was built, brick replaced wood in construction, and
the first Allentown Fair (now the nation's oldest continuous annual
fair) began in 1852.
During the Civil War (1861–1865), Allentown
contributed significantly to the Union. Residents formed the 1st
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and other units like the Allen Rifles
and Jordan Artillerists, which protected Washington, D.C., as part of
the Pennsylvania First Defenders. The 47th Pennsylvania Infantry
Regiment, recruited locally and commanded by Tilghman H. Good and John
Peter Shindel Gobin, fought in key battles including St. Johns Bluff,
Pocotaligo, the Red River Campaign, and Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley
Campaign. Other regiments included the 5th, 41st, 128th, and 176th
Pennsylvania Infantries. A Soldiers and Sailors Monument was dedicated
in 1899 to honor the dead.
Industrially, early mills (sawmills, flour
mills) gave way to iron production after 1840s ore discoveries. The
Allentown Iron Company built a furnace in 1846, merging into the
Allentown Rolling Mill Company by 1860—the largest iron firm in the
area. The Civil War boosted demand for iron, boots (from Leh's store,
opened 1850), and other goods. Post-war, iron declined in the 1870s
depression, leading to diversification into silk mills (e.g., Adelaide
in 1881), employing thousands by the early 20th century. Other
industries included brickworks, brewing (Horlacher and Neuweiler), food
processing (Arbogast and Bastian slaughterhouse in 1887), and retail
like Hess Brothers department store (1896). Banking expanded with
Allentown Savings (1860) and Second National Bank (1864).
Cultural
influences included Pennsylvania Dutch traditions, with the dialect
persisting in newspapers into the 1940s.
20th Century: Peak
Industry, Deindustrialization, and Suburban Shift (1900–2000)
The
early 20th century saw continued growth. Mack Trucks relocated from
Brooklyn in 1905, producing the iconic "Bulldog" model for World War I.
Syrian Christians from Wadi al-Nasara settled in the Sixth Ward around
this time, forming a community of over 5,200 by 2015. World War II
brought prosperity, with wartime contracts.
Post-war, Western
Electric opened a plant in 1945, manufacturing the world's first
transistor in 1951, spurring electronics. Allentown became a retail hub
with department stores like Hess's, Leh's, and Zollinger, plus cinemas
and theaters on Hamilton Street.
However, deindustrialization hit
hard in the 1960s–1970s. Baby boomers and working-class families moved
to suburbs (e.g., Salisbury, South Whitehall) for better housing and
lower taxes, eroding the tax base. Suburban malls (Whitehall 1966,
Lehigh Valley 1976) drew shoppers from downtown. Factories closed due to
foreign competition; silk peaked in the 1940s but declined. Efforts like
the Hamilton Mall redevelopment failed, leading to store closures (Leh's
and Zollinger by 1990, Hess's in 1996). Agere Systems (successor to
Western Electric) was acquired and relocated in 2009; Mack Trucks moved
headquarters to North Carolina that year.
21st Century:
Revitalization and Modern Era (2000–Present)
Allentown has
diversified into services, healthcare, transportation, warehousing, and
some manufacturing. The 2009 Neighborhood Improvement Zone spurred
redevelopment in Center City and the riverfront, including the PPL
Center arena (opened 2014 for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey team)
and the Renaissance Hotel. Older buildings have been repurposed for
mixed-use.
In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Allentown among
the "150 Best Places to Live in the U.S." and fifth-best for retirement,
reflecting ongoing urban renewal. The city, with a population of about
125,000, honors its history through sites like Zion Reformed Church and
annual events like the Allentown Fair, while adapting to contemporary
economic realities.
Allentown, Pennsylvania, is located in the eastern part of the state, serving as the county seat of Lehigh County. It lies at coordinates 40°36′06″N 75°28′38″W and is the largest city in the Lehigh Valley region, forming a tri-city area with neighboring Bethlehem and Easton in Lehigh and Northampton counties. The city is situated approximately 48 miles (77 km) north of Philadelphia and 78 miles (126 km) west of New York City, making it a key urban center in the northeastern United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Allentown covers a total area of 18.01 square miles (46.64 km²), with 17.56 square miles (45.49 km²) consisting of land and 0.44 square miles (1.15 km²) of water, representing about 2.44% water coverage.
The city's topography is defined by its position in the Lehigh Valley, a geographic valley nestled between two prominent ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. To the north, about 17 miles (27 km) away, lies Blue Mountain (also known as Kittatinny Ridge), which rises to elevations between 1,000 feet (300 m) and 1,600 feet (490 m). Bordering the southern edge of the city is South Mountain, a lower ridge reaching 500 feet (150 m) to 1,000 feet (300 m) in height. This valley setting creates a relatively flat to gently rolling urban landscape, with the city's elevation ranging from a low of 255 feet (78 m) along the Lehigh River to a high of 440 feet (130 m) in higher neighborhoods, and an average elevation of around 338 feet (103 m). The broader Lehigh Valley metropolitan area extends over 453.60 square miles (1,174.82 km²), encompassing a mix of urban, suburban, and rural terrains.
Allentown's geography is heavily influenced by its waterways, most notably the Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River that forms the city's eastern boundary. The river has historically been vital for transportation and industry, supported by the Lehigh Canal (completed in 1829), which ran along its east bank for navigation. Within the city, two major tributaries—Jordan Creek and Little Lehigh Creek—converge and empty into the Lehigh River, providing natural drainage and scenic features. Additional water bodies include Lake Muhlenberg in Cedar Creek Parkway and a pond in Trexler Park, which contribute to local recreation and ecology. These streams and the river system help define neighborhood boundaries, such as the South Side south of Little Lehigh Creek.
Allentown experiences a transitional climate classified as hot-summer humid continental (Dfa under the Köppen system using the 0°C isotherm) or humid subtropical (Cfa using the -3°C isotherm). Summers are typically warm and humid, with July average temperatures around 75.6°F (24.2°C) and highs occasionally reaching up to 105°F (41°C), as recorded on July 3, 1966. Winters are cool to cold, with January averages at 30.1°F (-1.1°C) and lows dipping to -15°F (-26°C), as seen on January 21, 1994. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, totaling 43.5 to 47.36 inches (1,105 to 1,203 mm) annually, with 8 to 12 rainy days per month. Snowfall averages 33.1 inches (84 cm) per season, peaking in February with nearly 11 inches (28 cm). The city falls within USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6b, supporting a variety of temperate vegetation but susceptible to occasional extreme weather events influenced by its valley position, which can trap humidity and moderate temperatures slightly compared to higher elevations.
Geologically, Allentown sits in a region shaped by ancient Appalachian formations, with the Lehigh Valley formed by erosion between the resistant ridges of Blue Mountain and South Mountain. The area was originally a wilderness of scrub oak forests inhabited by the Lenape people, who utilized the rivers for fishing and hunting. Iron ore deposits discovered in the surrounding hills during the 1840s fueled the city's industrial boom, contributing to its development as a manufacturing hub. The underlying geology includes sedimentary rocks from the Paleozoic era, with USGS maps detailing formations in the Allentown East quadrangle, encompassing Lehigh, Northampton, and Bucks counties. This geological richness supported early colonial expansions, including the controversial Walking Purchase of 1737, which opened vast tracts of land north of Philadelphia.
Allentown is the core of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan statistical area, with a 2020 population of 865,310, ranking as the 68th largest metro in the U.S. Adjacent counties include Carbon and Monroe to the north, Bucks to the southeast, Montgomery to the south, Berks and Schuylkill to the west, and Warren County, New Jersey, to the east. The urban core spans 261.5 square miles (677.4 km²) and includes diverse neighborhoods: Center City (downtown hub), the East Side (residential near the Lehigh River), the South Side (south of Little Lehigh Creek, bordering Emmaus), and the West End (west of 15th Street, with commercial and residential zones). The region is one of Pennsylvania's fastest-growing areas, blending urban development with natural preserves.
Allentown's geography has profoundly shaped its history and economy, from early Pennsylvania Dutch settlements in 1751 to its role in anthracite coal transport via canals and railroads in the 19th century. The city boasts extensive park systems that highlight its natural features, including the 134-acre Trexler Park, the 999-acre Lehigh Parkway along the Little Lehigh Creek, and others that preserve creeks, reservoirs, and wooded areas. Historic districts like Old Allentown and West Park reflect Victorian-era architecture integrated with the terrain, while modern infrastructure, such as Interstates and routes along the river, underscores its connectivity. Overall, Allentown's valley location fosters a temperate environment conducive to both urban growth and outdoor activities, though it can occasionally lead to flooding risks from its river systems.
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