click photograph to enlarge
The merchants who built Hamilton Street counted on architecture to attract shoppers into their emporiums. Large neon signs wouldn't appear for another fifty years. The soffit and fascia shown above, halfway between 7th and 8th on Hamilton, is one of the most elaborate facades in Allentown. One thing you can say about Allentown City Hall, they never let culture, art, or history get into the way of their plans. As successful cities come to value and profit from their history more and more, Allentown keeps using the standard catalog of proven failures. I know from other projects on Hamilton Street that Pawlowski isn't big on history. The Cityline Building in the 800 Block was permitted to stucco over beautiful brickwork. Sad that the puppies, who are directors at the Art Museum and Historical Society, remain silent on the planned destruction. It's hard to describe the magnificence of the skylight shown below, also in the targeted block. It's very large in three sections, in pristine condition. Should be quite a snack for Pawlowski's bulldozer.
The bulldozer prevailed, and the former architectural treasures of our mercantile history were not preserved, save for this blog's archives. Above is reprinted from May 2011UPDATE 2015: The post above, reprinted from May of 2013, was then titled Stealing Allentown's Treasures. This past weekend, a member of Old Allentown Preservation Association, and an active local Democrat, bragged on facebook about how he had recycled an old second floor office door from the demolished buildings in the arena zone. In truth, Old Allentown also turned a self serving, callous eye to the destruction noted in the above post. Although I'm glad the door was recycled, allow this post to note the irony and hypocrisy of the Association.
UPDATE MAY 9, 2022:This isn't a new post- over the years, it has had different titles- but, unfortunately, its message remains more pertinent than ever. In addition to losing the mercantile architecture of Hamilton Street, we lost the Elk's Club on 8th Street. Currently, the magnificent art deco post office is in danger. More astoundingly, Zion Church, refuge of the Liberty Bell itself, is for sale. If these icons were being replaced by the building gems of the future, it would be more tolerable; but, frankly, the new buildings are architectural garbage.
Allentown is in transition in so many ways. People who know better are afraid to speak out and be labeled in these woke times. Even our institutions and societies of history and culture stand down...but not this blog.
You are doing more recycling than Waste Management MM, why won;t you touch the story of how Erie Insurance tucked tail and capitulated to Sprained & Strained with a paltry settlement meant to humiliate the ":Silver Fox"? Also where has Cousin Jaffrey been, Passages Malibu perhaps?
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile city council seems only interested in pursuing woke agenda items or nothing at all. The police told our community meeting recently that "there's nothing they can do about the dirt bikes and three wheelers on our streets". Now why is that? They always could before?
ReplyDeleteI believe that comment 7:52 is from Bill Villa. He has submitted both harassing comments and emails to me (along with veiled threats) for many years. References above are his usual terms (sprained&strained, silver fox) Although I never knowingly print his venom, today I make an exception, because of the anti-semantic pseudonym used.
ReplyDeleteRather pusillanimous of you to cry about past grievances instead of addressing the substance of Mordichai's post, the regurgitation taking place on this blog out performs the pledges on south mountain during rush week.
ReplyDeleteBeing an apologist for Jumbo Martini and his hired guns (unloaded) makes you a quisling, jus' sayin...