Hellertown is named for one of the area’s earliest European immigrants, Christopher Heller, of Amsterdam, who arrived with his family in 1738. This little borough got a slow start, but is now home to both quaint old architecture and forward-thinking boutiques, with notable natives and exciting developments in store.
Known For:
Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market
Much is made of the Lehigh Valley’s proximity to major cities, but it’s also nestled conveniently within reach of many farms and food producers. Among the Valley’s array of farmers’ markets, there’s something special to be found in Hellertown from May through November, where luscious local fare and a whole lot more lures the community-conscious shopper to Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market every Sunday.
More than 40 farms, bakeries and purveyors of natural products sell their goods here, from nutritious vegetables and fruit to Mediterranean delicacies and miniature cheesecakes.
Though some come to shop and are quickly on their way, the Saucon Valley Farmer’s Market, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, creates such a warm, friendly atmosphere that it manages to revive the vibe of the all-but-dead sociable town square commons. Farmers sometimes bring their families along and shoppers can really get to know where their food comes from.
Annual events like Bring Your Doll to Market Day, kids’ crafts and Mother Goose story-times add interest for youngsters, and historical trolley rides, local author book signings and their Senior Day event provide community-boosting fun for all ages.
Perhaps the cutest part of the extracurriculars at the Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market is the Sunflower Contest sponsored by Lost River Caverns. Every year in May market-goers can collect sunflower seeds to plant and grow until September, when they return with bounteous blooms to be judged for biggest flower.
The fourth Sunday of each month (and every Sunday in October and November) also includes local crafters and artists for Art in the Park. Handmade creations can include ceramics, sculpture, knitted items, wooden ornaments, recycled jewelry and you’ll have to come out to see what else, because different artists attend from about a 50-mile radius month to month. It’s not just the finished product; visiting artists have been known to sit and paint scenes of the market or creek.
With renovation taking place at the market’s usual location at Water Street Park, the first month or two of the Saucon Valley Farmer’s Market will be held at Dimmick Park near Lost River Caverns.
90 W. Water St., Hellertown | 610.392.4704 | svfarmersmarket.org
Attraction:
Lost River Caverns
Hellertown was once home to an active limestone quarry, but when workers blasting away at a cliff face unearthed what would later come to be called the Lost River Caverns, this natural wonder became a venue for all sorts of social events.
From the stashing of bootleggers’ goods and shadowy fraternity initiations to dances and ceremonies in the Crystal Chapel, folks have been taking advantage of the cave’s steady 52°F temperature for all sorts of activities.
Over the past 250,000 years, trickling water has worn the limestone away and re-formed it into interesting shapes that continue to develop through this natural process.
Since 1930, the caverns have been open for public tours with knowledgeable guides to explain local geology on a 30- to 45-minute tour through paved, well-lit walkways amid crystal formations. As caves go, those in Lost River Caverns are not particularly dark and dangerous, making them wonderful for a youngster’s first spelunking forays.
The gift shop includes jewelry-making supplies and precious stones, and kids may enjoy panning for gems at the reconstructed 19th century mining station.
726 Durham St., Hellertown | 610.838.8767 | lostcave.com
Fun Fact:
Allen Woodring’s Olympic Gold
We’ve all heard about Jim Thorpe’s amazing athletic record, but did you know that a man born in Hellertown was the first Lehigh Valley native to win Olympic gold?
Allen Woodring was born in 1898, and represented the U.S. in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Belgium. He ran the 200-meter dash in only 22 seconds, just two-fifths of a second short of the world record, but he almost didn’t make it to the Olympics at all. Throughout high school, Woodring topped state and then national lists for his accomplishments in track competitions before entering Syracuse University for medicine, where he trained with nationally-renowned track coach Thomas F. Keane.
Despite all this, Woodring did not initially qualify to compete in the Olympics, placing just one spot short. However, Woodring’s advocates among the sports community somehow convinced officials to reconsider, and he was soon on his way to Antwerp.
Upon arrival, poor Woodring’s track shoes fell apart, echoing Jim Thorpe’s infamous stolen shoe debacle, and he ended up running his races in borrowed shoes on a track sodden with rain, but still took gold. As the Syracuse yearbook would later fawn, “Woodring is a natural born sprinter, running with a beautiful easy stride. It seems to be no effort for him to cover the straight-aways with speed very rarely seen.” He went on to work as a salesman for the Spalding sporting goods company and died in 1982 in Florida.
Spotlight Biz:
YōgaMōs
Approaching the exterior of recently established Hellertown yoga studio YōgaMōs, it’s apparent that this is something out of the ordinary. The hundred-year-old ex-funeral home’s charming architecture and stained glass set the stage for a comfortable practice with uniquely impassioned yogis.
Stephanie and Christopher MoDavis have been such an inseparable couple that the combination of their name and proclivity for yoga had a friend announcing their appearance with “here come the YōgaMōs,” hence the name of their studio.
Their love of yoga helped them through a medical hardship which culminated in Stephanie’s need for a kidney transplant. The search for a donor turned up another couple in similar straits, and each husband was able to provide a kidney to the other’s wife! Of course yoga helps keep you healthy and balanced, and if it can help the “YōgaMōs” get through such an incredible experience with grace and good humor, imagine what it can do for you!
Chris and Stephanie offer yoga classes for all levels in the style of Vinyasa flow with a touch of Ashtanga. Classes are small and informal, and have attracted a warm community of accepting people. Stephanie also provides nutritional/wellness counseling with a holistic approach, addressing not just what you’re eating, but what’s eating you.
410 Main St., Hellertown | 484.895.8429 | myyogamos.com
Quick Tip:
Rt. 412
One thing that may hold visitors back from Hellertown is the construction on Route 412. Over 20,000 vehicles buzz up and down this route every day, and with the projected five lanes in place, they will someday be amply and more safely accommodated. Though it may seem like traffic has been choked up between Interstate 78 and Daly Avenue for a thousand eternities, the $36 million project kicked off in spring of 2012, and has only been under major construction since the following spring of 2013.
Still, that’s nearing two years this spring, and Hellertown business owners and virtually everyone with a car was disappointed to hear in spring of last year that the project was running one year behind schedule. An unexpectedly high water table where Route 412 and the Saucon Creek intersect has made it necessary to go back to the drawing board for the area’s bridge and sewer pipe infrastructure.
Understandably, local business owners took this news hard. Some have lost more than half of their business because customers have come to avoid the area altogether, where it can take more than half an hour to cross just two miles. Employees from the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park just north of Hellertown are temporarily finding scrumptious eateries like the Hellertown Lunch Box or Vassi’s Drive-in aren't practical lunch-hour destinations.
Needless to say, Hellertown is worth the wait, with its unique and perennial businesses like Paprika’s authentic Hungarian cuisine, pet-lover’s paradise Doggie Dao & Cat’s Meow, Pondelek's Florist & Gifts and DiMaio's Italian Ristorante. The latest update on the construction project cautiously offers hope for relief.
Though the overall project is expected to take until fall of 2016, PennDOT spokesman Ron Young reports that the impact on traffic could be lifted significantly sooner: “If things go well in 2015 in terms of no complications or extensive bad weather, we could have no or very minimal traffic restrictions by the end of 2015 or early 2016,” at which point continued work probably won’t affect traffic on a daily basis.
Just know that every attempt is being made to speed the project to completion, overtime crews working up to 50-60 hours a week and police on call to help direct traffic when necessary. In the meantime, your patronage of Hellertown businesses will help the town weather this temporarily rocky road.
