So you all know where we'll be going, below is the route for next Sunday's photo shoot. It will cover about two miles in all, and allows for places to spend more time following the group walk. For those interested (ans assuming a starting time of 10am, we'll do lunch or just a liquid refreshment at Allentown Brew Works before heading back to the starting point. A map with arrows will be provided for the geographically-challenged.
May 23rd Walking Tour of Downtown Allentown (If joining the group walk, meet at 10am at Trout Hall, (1) below)
Numbers in parentheses refer to locations on the map
Begin at Trout Hall (1), located at 4th and Walnut Streets. This Georgian style stone dwelling was built in 1770 as a summer house by James Allen, the son of Allentown’s founder William Allen. In the 1800’s it housed Muhlenberg College.
Walking West on Walnut brings you to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum (2). Note: the Museum is open on Sundays from 11-4pm ($5), making it an optional destination before leaving for home. The current exhibit is the Civil War: America at the Crossroads.
Continue on Walnut, turning right onto 5th Street.
The St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (3) is a massive Gothic structure, completed in 1938 after the 1889 structure was condemned. It is the 3rd church standing on this site.
At the corner of 5th and Hamilton, you’ll find the Allentown Post Office (4). Completed in 1934, it’s known for its art deco ornamentation.
Across Hamilton, you’ll see Allentown’s City Hall (5) and the Lehigh County Court House (6).
Continuing North on 5th Street, the Allentown Art Museum (7) is on the right. The older wing is a neo-Roman temple with Corinthian columns, built as the First Presbyterian Church in 1902. The modern north wing, constructed in 1974-1975, was designed by Edgar Tafel, Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous student. Open 12-5pm on Sundays, its worth a return visit.
Across the street to the right stands the Baum Art School (
. Founded by prominent local artist Walter Emerson Baum in 1926, it was housed in the art museum for ten years. In 1987, it moved to its new home in a post-modern style building a half block north and across the street from the museum. In 1977, inspired by an article in National Geographic about one of Leonardo da Vinci's most monumental unfinished projects, Mr. Charles Dent, an accomplished artist and art collector himself, decided to complete Mr. da Vinci's work. Thus started an effort of more than 20 years to cast the 24-foot-tall, 15-ton bronze statue of a horse, called simply "Il Cavallo." The one located here is a smaller copy of the original.
On the same side of 5th Street as Baum, the Allentown Art Park (9) fills the square.
Returning to Hamilton, the Old Lehigh County Court House (10) is located on the corner.
Across 5th Street, on the south side of Hamilton and in front of the new U.S. Federal Court House (11) (built 1995), is a large stone with a bronze plaque. This is the local Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It lists the Allentown citizens who died in the conflict.
The next stop is at the southeast corner of 6th and Hamilton. Here tiger, buffalo, lion and other gargoyle
animal heads gaze down from the top floor of the B & B or Breinig and Bachman Building (12).
At the northeast corner is the Americus Hotel, built from 1926 – 1927, named for 15th century Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci (13).
A short walk down on N. 6th Street will bring the walker to the classical facade of Allentown Symphony Hall (14), the former Lyric Theater. Built in 1896.
Walk back up 6th Street and turn right. The dark stone church on the south side of Hamilton Street is Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ (built 1888) & Liberty Bell Shrine (15). It was the temporary home of the Liberty Bell during the Revolutionary War. Shrine is closed Sundays.
The building with the distinctive Roman temple facade (16) is the next stop on our walk up Hamilton Mall. Built at the turn of the century, it began life as the Lehigh Valley Bank and Trust Company.
Continue west on Hamilton Street to Center Square (Hamilton & 7th Streets). The Soldiers and Sailors Monument (17) , a city landmark, was originally dedicated on October 19, 1899 to honor General Phillip Sheridan’s Civil War unit – the 47th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers - who fought at the battle of Cedar Creek. The Vermont granite monument which stands 99 feet high. In 1964 it was re-dedicated to honor veterans of all wars. Over the years Center Square was the hub of Allentown’s banking activity.
(over)
Just west of Center Square, the 700 Block of Hamilton Street is Portland Place (18) which houses satellite campuses of Lehigh Carbon Community College and Kutztown University. Formerly the offices of Lehigh Portland Cement Company, the building was originally known as the Young Building named after one of its founders.
Cross over Hamilton Street and turn right at North 8th Street. On the east side of the street is a large bronze plaque set into the wall of the Farr building (19) -The Revolutionary War Plaque.
Walk down to the corner of 8th and Linden, turn left and head up the north side of the street. To the north is the Old Allentown Historic District (20), a neighborhood of old homes.
After crossing 9th Street, continue on the north side of Linden Street. In the next block is the location of
Allentown's traditional burying grounds. The first cemetery on your right is known as the Old Allentown
Cemetary (21). Known as the Allentown Cemetery Park (est. 1765), it is the burial site of the city's earliest residents, including Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans. Allentown Cemetery (N. Fountain & Linden Sts), established 1846, is the city's second oldest cemetery, is located next to Allentown Cemetery Park.
Turn left onto 10th Street, and then left again on Hamilton heading east. At the northwest corner of 9th and Hamilton is the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company's tower building (22). The building was completed in 1928.
Across 9th Street is PPL Plaza (23), which sits on the site of the former Hess Brother Dept. Store. Hess’s was closed in 1996, demolished in 2000.
Note the flower stands, which also serve as light poles. For years these flower stands served as the symbol for the City of Allentown.
Option: Lunch at the Allentown Brew Works (24), located at 812 Hamilton. Open from 11am until midnight on Sunday.
Website/menu -
http://www.thebrewworks.com/allentown-brewworks/Heading East on Hamilton, turn right on 8th Street. St. Paul’s Evengelical Lutheran Church (24) stands in the middle of the block.
Continue South on 8th St., turning left on Walnut and return to the starting point (or the Art Museum), OR return to Hamilton Street, turning right and retracing steps back to 4th and Walnut.
Random ideas for shooting –
Storefronts
Architectural details
Reflections
Macro
Nature
Signs
Photoshop
“Postcard” shot
Black & white or sepia
“Old” postcard
Other places to shoot in Allentown –
Rose Garden
America on Wheels
On the way…train station & Rescue Mission
Mansions along Hamilton, 15th through 18th Street
Bogert’s Covered Bridge & Lehigh Parkway
Muhlenberg College
Alburtis Meyers Bridge (8th Street Bridge)
