From the humble beginnings of settlers, to the American Revolution, Industrial Revolution, and beyond, Lehigh Valley is part of the fabric of America, and that history can still be seen today around every cobblestone street, canal, and factory trestle.
Lehigh Valley is steeped in pre-Colonial, Early American, and Industrial history, and historic Moravian Bethlehem, a National Historic Landmark District, a newly designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The World Heritage site includes Moravian Church Settlements – Bethlehem, along with other sites in Herrnhut, Germany, and Gracehill, Northern Ireland/United Kingdom.
Allentown, PA is where the Liberty Bell, America’s symbol of freedom, was hidden during the Revolutionary War. Ring a replica Liberty Bell at the Liberty Bell Museum in Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wilmer Behler’s hand-painted mural tells the story of the hiding of the bells as it was used as a refuge during Indian raids, a revolutionary war hospital, a gathering place for the reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Quaint downtown Bethlehem was named a Top 10 Main Street by USA Today, and the Historic Hotel Bethlehem the #1 Historic Hotel in America by USA Today's 10Best is a great home base for exploring—that is, if you can pull yourself away from the plush guest rooms, onsite restaurant, and ice cream parlor. Founded by the Moravians, Bethlehem was the hub of the canals. The canals then gave birth to greater transportation with the Lehigh Valley Railroad, and both of those stories are part of the foundation for the rise and fall of Bethlehem Steel. Put on your walking shoes and tour historic Bethlehem, also known as Christmas City, U.S.A., where the 1741 Gemeinhaus, home of the Moravian Museum (a National Historic Landmark) still stands, along with numerous stone structures from the 18th century. Tour the Colonial Industrial Quarter, watch a Blacksmithing Demonstration, or learn even more at the National Museum Of Industrial History, located in what was once a Bethlehem Steel Facility, forging a connection between America’s industrial past and the innovations of today. End your historic loop tour with an Instagram-worthy visit to the Hoover Mason Trestle overlooking the SteelStacks™ events venue. The elevated walkway, built along the railway that once hauled iron ore to the city’s blast furnaces, is ideal for either solo adventuring or guided tours.
Easton, PA is also featured prominently in American history. One of the first three public readings of the Declaration of Independence was held in the city's Centre Square in July of 1776. Today, this notable day in history is celebrated with an annual festival known as the Easton Heritage Day. The National Canal Museum commemorates America’s golden age of canals. Ride a canal boat pulled by mules, tour one of the only remaining locktender houses, and explore multi-use trails that meander along historic towpaths all the way to Wilkes-Barre. Easton also lays claim to the oldest continuously running open-air farmers market in America (Easton Farmers Market established 1752).
The names in these stories can be found in history books beyond Lehigh Valley, where names like Penn, Allen, Turner, Adams, White, Trexler, Packer, Sayre, and Schwab helped make not only Lehigh Valley, but America what it is. Tour the historical landmarks that still can be seen today and relive the history from our museums.
Lehigh Valley’s historic Moravian Bethlehem, a National Historic Landmark District and a newly designated UNESCO World Heritage site, Moravian Church Settlements – Bethlehem, draws both U.S. and international visitors as it has provided a unique, historically rich, and culturally significant way of life for over 300 years. Hundreds of thousands of visitors each year tour the city, SteelStacks™, and the historic sites found throughout. The multi-national World Heritage nomination includes historic Moravian church settlements here in Bethlehem, along with Herrnhut, Germany, and Gracehill, Northern Ireland/United Kingdom.
Explore Bethlehem’s Colonial roots at Burnside Plantation, a 6.5-acre farm and living history museum that was a centerpiece of the city’s Moravian community in the 18th and 19th centuries. Highlights include a 1748 farmhouse, picturesque apple orchards, and a rare High Horse-Powered wheel—an early manufacturing device. Really an attraction in and of itself, the Hoover Mason Trestle overlooking Steelstacks™, is an elevated 1/3-mile walkway built along the railway that once hauled iron ore to Bethlehem Steel’s blast furnaces. The cantilevered structure is part-museum, highlighting the site’s steelmaking history, and part-attraction with dramatic entrances, a Wi-Fi-guided walking tour, benches, landscaping, and a photo op with the rusted-out furnaces— one of Pennsylvania’s most unique urban strolls.
You can actually touch – and ring – a replica of the Liberty Bell that rests at the Liberty Bell Museum in Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ in Allentown. The site was not only where America’s most famous symbol of freedom was hidden during the Revolutionary War, but it also served as a refuge during Indian raids, a hospital, and a meeting place for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. Down the street from the Bell’s hiding spot and adjacent to the PPL Corporation headquarters is a building in place of what was once the height of opulence, Hess’s Department Store. There’s also the story of silk and in Catasauqua the first commercially successful anthracite coal-powered iron furnace in America. It’s no wonder the Lehigh County Historical Society (located within the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum) is dubbed one of the largest historical societies in Pennsylvania with the impressive collection they maintain. More than 35,000 historical artifacts, 80,000 vintage photographs, and 3-million+ documents facilitate research on genealogy, maps, newspapers, photographs, county records, and so much more.
While these sites form a triple crown for history lovers, the region offers much more for anyone fascinated by glimpses of the challenges, culture, and quirks of colonial and industrial life.
