In the early 1920s, a building boom began in the West End of Allentown as downtown residents wanted houses with yards and more quiet, open space. Within four years, more than 150 homes with yards had been built. Plans were also made for a block of shops, offices and restaurants, as the The Nineteenth Street Theater became an important part of the District’s original fabric.
The West End of Allentown is marked by Arts and Crafts style townhomes built primarily from 1910 to 1930. The area has an mix of architecture that ranges from early twentieth century Colonial Revival styles to 1960’s Mid-Century Modern homes. The neighborhood’s charm can be attributed to the distinct design of each home and the pleasant site of tree-lined streets.
As Allentown’s original agricultural community was met by the industrial revolution, it became a budding area for manufacturing, banking, retail, and home to many cultural gems. The 19th Street Theatre is the oldest cinema in Allentown, opening on September 17, 1928. In 1957, the property was purchased by Allentown’s Civic Little Theatre, and since that time stage productions have been performed there. In 1994, the company officially changed its name to the Civic Theatre of Allentown.
The District’s largest attraction is the Great Allentown Fair, hosted annually the week before Labor Day. The Lehigh County Agricultural Society held the first fair from October 6 to October 8, 1852, on Livingston’s Lawn, a 5-acre plot located east of Fourth Street, between Walnut and Union Streets, in Allentown to showcase agricultural advancements and to entertain patrons. The initial fair was so successful that in 1853 it grew to a larger second location. In 1862, there was no Fair due to the Civil War. The popularity of the Allentown Fair continued to grow and in 1889, the Lehigh County Agricultural Society purchased a plot of land on 17th Street, between Chew and Liberty Streets, to serve as the new fairgrounds and the fair was renamed, as it stands today, “The Great Allentown Fair.”
