HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Lehigh and Northampton counties have a wealth features in the Lehigh Valley that can qualify for of historic buildings, structures, sites and districts National Register listing. that are found throughout the region. These re- sources add to the beauty and attractiveness of There are at least 171 buildings, structures or dis- the region, increase understanding and appre- tricts in the Lehigh Valley that have been recog- ciation of our heritage, and improve the quality of nized by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum life. Many significant historical features are of Commission as being eligible for listing on the value to the local economy because they are tour- National Register of Historic Places. Eighty-four ist attractions. of these eligible properties are in Lehigh County and 87 are in Northampton County. Before any of Many projects now require an analysis of historic these properties can be listed on the National resources before they can proceed. Under state Register of Historic Places someone must com- and federal law, it is the responsibility of state and plete and submit the necessary application forms. federal agencies to consider the effects of their actions on all historic and prehistoric sites, dis- The Pennsylvania historical marker program was tricts, buildings and structures eligible for inclu- established in 1946. This popular Pennsylvania sion in the National Register of Historic Places. Historical and Museum Commission program is The federal legal mandates include Section 106 responsible for the blue and gold roadside mark- of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, ers that highlight people, places and events sig- Executive Order 11593, and the regulations of nificant in the state and national history. There the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. are about 1,800 markers across the entire state. State legal mandates include the Environmental Seventy-nine markers can be found in the Lehigh Rights Amendment, Article 1, Section 27 of the Valley (55 in Northampton County and 24 in Le- Pennsylvania Constitution, and the Pennsylvania high County). The LVPC has a list of historical Historic Preservation Act of 1978. Agencies must markers. meet their responsibilities to identify all eligible resources that may be affected by their actions. There have been a number of major efforts since Often this requires a survey to identify significant 1970 to identify and survey the remaining his- historic resources. toric resources in Lehigh and Northampton coun- ties. Some communities prepared very good his- The presence of historic sites sets a greater re- tory studies for the 1976 bicentennial celebration. striction on government actions than on private Another important effort in the 1970s involved a ones. If a site is on the National Register of His- major study of the Lehigh Canal by the U.S. De- toric Places or is eligible for National Register list- partment of the Interior, Heritage Conservation ing, federal and state agencies must show there and Recreation Service titled Lehigh Canal - an is no feasible and prudent alternative to avoiding HCRS Project Report. the feature before it can be eliminated. Private property owners do not have to comply with fed- A few municipalities have conducted comprehen- eral and state mandates regarding National Reg- sive historic resources surveys funded with state ister properties. grants. Communities that took advantage of this grant program include Catasauqua, Coopersburg Many important historic features are listed on the and Forks Township. The Pennsylvania Histori- National Register of Historic Places (see Table 9 cal and Museum Commission still has money for and Map 27). As of April 2003, the National Reg- funding comprehensive historic resources sur- ister list included 85 listings in the Lehigh Valley. veys. No Lehigh Valley municipalities have ap- These 85 listings include historic districts which, plied for the grants for a number of years. in turn, contain many important historic features. The list of properties on the National Register of The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission pub- Historic Places has more than doubled since lished a report in 1963 titled History of the Le- 1970. Nevertheless, there are many other historic high Valley Region. The report dealt with impor-

104 The Lehigh Canal was built by Josiah White and Erskine Hazard in 1827-29 so canal boats could transport coal and timber from Mauch Chunk (Jim Thorpe) to markets in Lehigh and Northampton counties and Philadelphia. Today, the Lehigh Canal is an important historic feature that offers many recreation opportunities. These photos show the restored Lock #23 and the 1828 Locktender’s House in Walnutport. The photos were taken the weekend of the Walnutport Canal Festival, an important local event sponsored by the Walnutport Canal Association, Inc. every October.

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tant events and persons and not the identifica- • Historic buildings that can be restored or used tion of historic sites and structures. In 1970 the by the private sector should be given a high Commission completed a report titled Historic priority in restoration programs. Structures and Sites. That document is part of a • Park acquisitions should include important seven-report series for the regional recreation and historical features whenever possible. open space plan. It contains an inventory of the • Historic sites should be marked and publi- most important historic structures, buildings and cized so the maximum number of Lehigh Val- sites that had been identified as of 1970. The re- ley residents and tourists can enjoy them. port also includes general policy recommenda- • Highway projects and other public infrastruc- tions and recommendations for specific historic ture improvements should avoid significant buildings and structures.1 Most of the recommen- features that are listed, or are eligible for list- dations of the report have been accomplished, ing, on the National Register of Historic thanks to both public and private efforts. Places, unless reasonable alternatives are not available. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission believes • Historic districts should be preserved by the that the preservation of historical resources is municipal adoption of historic district regula- important. Historical preservation fulfills a variety tions pursuant to Act 167. of needs that range from a heightened aware- • Restoration of historic properties that will at- ness of our past to economic opportunities made tract tourists to the Lehigh Valley should be possible by tourism. Continued efforts are needed supported. to insure that our most important historic re- sources are preserved so they can be enjoyed IMPLEMENTATION by future generations of Lehigh Valley residents and visitors. • Municipalities that have not already done so are encouraged to conduct comprehensive GOAL historic sites surveys. • The LVPC will keep an updated list of prop- To preserve the important historic buildings, struc- erties that are on or eligible for the National tures and sites in Lehigh and Northampton coun- Register of Historic Places. ties. • During its various reviews, the LVPC will document if any proposed action may impact POLICIES any National Register property or any other feature that has been deemed eligible for the • Historic buildings that have educational im- National Register by the Pennsylvania His- portance or value as tourist attractions should torical and Museum Commission. be given a high priority in restoration pro- • As the opportunity arises, the LVPC will in- grams. form the counties and municipalities of his- • Restoration programs should evaluate a full toric features that may be worthy of preserv- range of possibilities from minimal efforts that ing. stabilize ruins to full restoration projects. • Private property owners of historic sites are encouraged to preserve the features that make such sites historic.

1Joint Planning Commission, Lehigh-Northampton Counties, regional Recreation and Open Space Plan Report No. 3, Historic Sites and Structures (Lehigh Valley, PA, May 1970), pp. 87-92.

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