Though we may drive or walk past one every day, rarely do we stop to take this long a look at the structures that surround us and provide the history of who we are.
Symbol of Progress
Bethlehem City Center
In August 1967, the Vietnam War was raging in Southeast Asia, but in Bethlehem a symbol of peace had just flown in. The 60-foot, 11,000-pound steel sculpture that now rests in the middle of Bethlehem's City Center plaza arrived via Chinook helicopter, the same type of heavy-duty chopper that was then carrying troops into battle.
The work, called “Symbol of Progress,” was designed by Joseph Greenberg of Philadelphia as the focal point for Bethlehem's brand-new city center complex. His intent was to symbolize the diversity of ethnic groups living in Bethlehem. Greenberg's vision features three tapered steel arcs that are joined in the middle, denoting the fusion of these different ethnicities. The arcs continue skyward, calling on the strength of the integration.
Although its feet may be planted on the north side, the towering sculpture is a very visible embrace of Bethlehem's south side.
Assembled in the yards of Bethlehem Fabricators, the steel, of course, was made in Bethlehem.
Hamilton Family Restaurant
Allentown
Most folks in the Lehigh Valley live within a short drive of some really good diners, but there's one that stands out in the field. In fact, so beloved is the Hamilton Family Restaurant it even has a pet name—the Ham Fam.
This 24-hour restaurant at 2027 W. Hamilton Street in Allentown's west end offers a bottomless cup of hot coffee and warm welcome to all. You feel it right away, entering beneath the neon “Ham Fam” sign done up in pink cursive letters. Have a seat at the long counter, or in a padded booth. The service is fast and friendly and the food is plentiful. A vast menu and reasonable prices make it a favorite destination for family gatherings and a preferred hangout for Muhlenberg students. Breakfast is served around the clock. Even then-Senator Barack Obama stopped by in 2008 during a presidential campaign swing through the state. His order? Cheeseburger and fries.
But just see if you can resist one of the cookies or softball-size frosted cupcakes in the all-too-inviting pastry case by the exit. We dare you.
Martin Tower
Bethlehem
It's hard to look at Martin Tower and not feel conflicted. So many Valley natives have connections with the once-mighty Bethlehem Steel that built it.
Completed in 1972 during the steel industry's glory days, the 21-story skyscraper dwarfed everything around it. The cruciform design meant extra corner offices and windows for executives, who also enjoyed hand-made carpets and wooden doorknobs engraved with the I-beam logo. The company spared no expense.
It wouldn't last long. Foreign competition and other factors led the steel industry to falter, plunging Bethlehem Steel into a steep and steady decline. By 2001, bankruptcy was declared, silencing the blast furnaces. It was a failure of epic proportions—over 100,000 jobs lost and the region plunged into economic hardship.
Today the building stands vacant, the parking lots devoid of cars. The very things that made it so attractive as a corporate headquarters—wide open hallways, elevator lobbies and public areas—are now detriments to reuse as offices or condominiums. There's talk of tearing it down. But until its fate is decided, it will remain a darkened memorial of a bygone era.
Woolworth Building
Bethlehem
Bethlehem natives of a certain age will remember shopping at Woolworth's, wandering the hardwood aisles looking for sewing notions, lampshades, Halloween costumes in a box, a bottle of Tabu cologne. Its long lunch counter served grilled cheese sandwiches and real milkshakes poured from tall stainless steel cups to generations. Put a penny in a machine that guessed your weight. You could find and do all sorts of fun things at 555 Main Street. Until July 1997, when the company closed this and all other Woolworth stores nationwide.
All that remains of the five-and-dime is the name above the wide windowed storefront—the once-red letters are now a contemporary light green. The demise of Woolworth's and the neighboring Orr's department store ended one chapter of commerce, but opened the way for a revitalized downtown based on specialty stores, cafes and restaurants. Today, where discount racks once stood you can grab a cup of coffee and linger at a sidewalk table to watch the world go by.
Seventh and Hamilton Streets
Allentown
Center Square is the beating heart of Allentown, and its pulse has quickened since the hockey arena project got underway in 2012. The city, having pinned its downtown revitalization hopes on the new development, is also breathless in anticipation of three high-rise office buildings, luxury apartments and an aptly named Renaissance hotel that will bring jobs, tourists and residents back to town.
Right in the middle of the action is another triumphant structure: the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Towering 99 feet over the intersection of Seventh and Hamilton Streets, the statue was dedicated 1899 to the memory of those who served in the Civil War. The monument has seen and survived more than a century of downtown developments, including several attempts to move it elsewhere. The life-sized bronze soldiers enjoy the best view of the construction, elevated above the flow of east- and north-bound traffic. Or perhaps it is the robed figure of Nike perched at the very top, the ancient Greek symbol of victory still relevant today in Center Square.
Free Bridge
Easton to Phillipsburg
Next time you cross the Delaware to Phillipsburg for a hot dog fix at Jimmy's, consider that you're traveling over a national civil engineering landmark. The Northampton Street Bridge, known as the Free Bridge, has been around so long that most don't even notice how marvelous a structure it really is.
The river crossing at Easton has provided a central link in travel from the northeastern seaboard to inland America since the 1700s. Ferries came first, discharging passengers at what is now Ferry Street. The first bridge—covered and wooden—was erected in 1806 but the introduction of trolley cars in the 1880s demanded something new.
James Madison Porter III, Lafayette professor and grandson of the college's founder, designed the new steel span, completed in 1896. He is said to have been inspired by the romantic Emperor Franz Josef Bridge across the Danube in Budapest. Back home, he combined the graceful aesthetics with economic design, building what appears to be a small suspension bridge over the Delaware. However, the delicate, pointed turrets are only there to prevent sway. The real support comes from the side piers and girders.
Since 1921, crossing the river on this elegant landmark has been, like many of life's best things, completely free of charge.
Moravian Book Shop
Bethlehem
As ubiquitous as Moravian stars in downtown Bethlehem are shoppers toting the iconic red-and-white shopping bags of the Moravian Book Shop. They're everywhere, and why not? The Moravian Book Shop is the irresistible, go-to spot on Main Street for everyone, both from in town and out of town.
Locals slip in for respite among the shelves of well-curated books, including many with Lehigh Valley connections. Anyone with a fantasy of curling up with a good book can do so at the cozy deli, accompanied by some hot tea or cup of soup. For tourists, it's where they'll find the perfect souvenir of their Christmas City visit; no one can resist the big wall of Moravian stars or unique selection of Christmas ornaments available year-round. For anyone with out of town visitors, this is the place to take them, especially during the holidays when the shop is at its festive best.
Sprawling over several storefronts, the once-tiny bookseller has been a Bethlehem fixture since 1745, making it the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the country. Today, shoppers can spend hours roaming a wide variety of merchandise, and won't likely leave empty-handed.
Lafayette Bar
Easton
Unless you love jazz music, you've probably never heard of the Lafayette Bar—an unassuming establishment tucked away on Easton's North 4th Street. Driving by, you barely even know it's there—a non-descript double door entrance under a genuine neon marquee. But ignore it at your own peril.
The Lafayette Bar is a Lehigh Valley music treasure. Venture in (there's no cover charge) and be amazed at the quality of jazz talent that plays here, many of them local and quite a few from New York City and beyond. The laid-back bar crowd is always receptive, and fiercely loyal to the place. There are all walks of life represented here.
You'll love it or you'll hate it, but you won't forget it. It's authentic as the music that's played here. The carpeted walls are covered in neon beer signs and a haze of cigarette smoke lingers overhead. Beer, malt liquor and wine are menu staples.
While the bar and its adjacent hotel have had their share of controversy over the years due to its location in the downtown, it isn't enough to deter true lovers of jazz from attending their signature Saturday night performances.
By Lori McLaughlin | Photography by Matthew Giobbi
