Local History

A former furniture store on the Southside dating back more than a century is in line for a half-million-dollar state grant to help finish its renovation.

Two land developers' requests to build residential units in phases were reviewed by the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Monday night.

Sixty-two acres of donated land along Santee Mill Road in Bethlehem will become the future home of the Industrial Archives & Library.

Organizers cited uncertainty surrounding federal and cultural heritage funding as among the reasons for cancelling the international gathering, which was scheduled for early June at Moravian University in Bethlehem.

Hellertown-Lower Saucon Heritage Day, this Saturday, May 17, will offer a petting zoo, arts and crafts, 18th-century and Civil War re-enactments, historic tours and more of the sort.

Lehigh Valley 250, a partnership among regional arts, culture, education and history organizations, was formed to create a series of exhibitions, walking tours, digital offerings and performances beginning this year and carrying through July 2026.

Said Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites President LoriAnn Wukitsch, “We’re just starting with this preservation here in Bethlehem, and hopefully this is going to kickstart the importance of continuing this work today, tomorrow and for years to come."

The 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House, after being closed to the public for a couple of decades, will open again for a free community showing from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Locals making up the Downtown Bethlehem Association helped market the Main Street’s successful campaign, offering a QR code for voting, social media content, printed postcards and word of mouth to draw voters.

Once pitched for 27 units, the newest project documents show 24 apartments to be built on site, with 18 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom units ranging from about 600 to 1,700 square feet.

In 2024, Bethlehem Historic District Association's Holiday House Tour brought out more than 1,000 attendees and 200 volunteers, according to BHDA President Michele Schultz.

Bethlehem’s Pembroke Choice project is giving residents “the opportunity to plan what the next generation of their neighborhood looks like,” Mayor J. William Reynolds said Saturday.