When Allentown built the Rose Garden in 1929, it wasn't a good year for numerous citizens of the west end. In addition to the stock market crash, the city had condemned their land for Cedar Park and the gardens. Among the prominent families affected were Sofranscy, Laudenslager, Minnich, Oswald, Nearhaus, Heist, Wagner and the Ottos.
However, the construction served future families well... The garden and park provided one of the premier street views in Allentown.
The gardens have enchanted Allentown and its residents for ninety years. While the Allentown Park Department now puts in emphasis and budget mostly toward recreation, let us remember the value of what Harry Trexler referred to as beauty and serenity.
From the original post:
ReplyDelete"...the city had condemned their land for Cedar Park and the gardens. Among the prominent families affected were Sofranscy, Laudenslager, Minnich, Oswald, Nearhaus, Heist, Wagner and the Ottos."
Well this is a new bit of history (to me).
All I've heard for decades is that the Allentown park system was the result of General Trexler GIFTING HIS land to the City. Now I find out that the Rose Garden lands were TAKEN by the City from OTHER families.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Rose Gardens, but I'd have to believe that there were many other parcels available to build the Gardens at that time without condemning other peoples' properties, particularly with the General gifting so much of his own property.
Please elaborate more if possible.
from my research, Trexler was both generous and savvy. He did pay for the park designs, and he did donate land. However, with the crash of 1929, he was no longer donating. Furthermore, he was involved in real estate development... Cedar Park and the rose gardens certainly added value to the west end, where he had extensive land holdings.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the follow-up.
ReplyDeleteAny idea where the properties of those families were located?
Was Parkway Road always there?
Would the condemned properties have been south of the road, or would it have been a partial condemnation of the parcels north of the road (if the road came later)?
My guess is north of the stream. Also, I found no details about the condemnations. Perhaps they were even a welcome gift horse to the property owners.
ReplyDeleteThere has long been a road along the north side of Cedar Creek. Historically, it was known as the Road to Hamburg and at other times as the Road to Fogelsville (one of several, including one farther North in the vicinity of Tilghman).
ReplyDeleteTake a look at this map of S. Whitehall Twp. from 1876.
http://ancestortracks.com/Lehigh%20County/SouthWhitehallTp,Breinigsville,Crackersport.jpg
No doubt, some realignment occurred during the construction of the West End and the park, but for what it's worth, it looks like the original farmhouses were between the original road and the creek.
I could be wrong, but I thought Trexler’s land did not extend to the Rose Garden. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the wheeler dealers who bought and split up the old farms happily donated land in a flood plain for a park in order to enhance the value of the up-scale houses they were selling in the “Cedar Bluff”, “Kay Gardens”, and “College Heights” developments.
John M, thanks for the informative map and documenting the existing road. None of the names on the map seem to still be in possession of the land by the late 1920's, or are mentioned in the condemnation article.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Michael.
ReplyDeleteWould you happen to have a reference for the condemnation article? I've been researching the land ownership of the West End, and I'm not familiar with it.
You and your readers might be interested in one other tidbit from that 1876 map. There is a stone structure at the NW corner of modern-day Parkway Blvd and Turner St (at the hill). I had always assumed it was a WPA structure---maybe a barbecue pit, but it turns out it's the chimney from an old farmhouse. If you look carefully at the 1876 map, just Northwest of Griesemersville there are two homesteads labeled as belonging to E.F. Butz. I believe the chimney is from the western-most one.
John M@5:52. Parkway View and Turner Street intersect up the hill from Parkway Blvd., but Turner and Parkway Blvd do not. I also operate Allentown Chronicles, a facebook group. I will place the condemnation article in a comment on that venue.
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