BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Organizers hope funds raised from an upcoming event will help further restore the home of the first mayor of Bethlehem.
The Archie Project will hold an event on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Archibald Johnston Mansion.
- A fundraiser will be held Sept. 9 at the Archibald Johnston Mansion
- The Archie Project says the money will be used for revitalization and restoration of the structure
- Tickets cost $20 for a tour of the 6,000-square-foot historic estate that was home of Bethlehem's first mayor. A VIP ticket is $100
For $20 (plus processing fees), visitors can step inside the 6,000-square-foot historic estate located in Housenick Park at 3811 Christian Spring Road.
Tours will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the general public. The cost of a VIP tour at 3 p.m. will be $100.
The money will be used for the revitalization and restoration of the structure and grounds. Tickets can be purchased through TicketLeap, and waivers must be signed prior to arrival.
A complete rehab and restoration
The mansion needs a complete rehab and restoration before opening to the public for use as an arts, education and community gathering space, according to Joy Albanese, president of the Archie Project.
Housenick Park is located within the 55-acre Janet Johnston Housenick and William D. Housenick Memorial Park, alongside the 36-acre Archibald Johnston Conservation Area of Northampton County in Bethlehem Township.
“The park that surrounds the mansion is beautiful and the gorgeous house was designed by none other than the famous Curtis Lovelace (Central Park Lovelace),” Albanese wrote in an email on Thursday.
“The park is well known in the birding community but many others don’t even know it exists or the historical relevance of it, which is kinda sad,” she said.
A multi-year effort
The September event is part of a multi-year effort to save the mansion since the Archie Project’s founding.
Township commissioners and the Housenick Foundation Trustees agreed in 2019 to fix the outside of the building as long as a private group funded all interior renovations.
“Remediation of antiquated building materials must take place to protect future users,” the group’s site states. “Plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems are also needed to allow for year-round use of the building.”
The Archie Project has established other project partnerships and is also pursuing grant opportunities from local and statewide corporations and foundations, as well as casino and hotel tax money distributions to fund the work.
“He (Johnston) was our FIRST mayor and a Bethlehem Steel executive, a Moravian and a Lehigh grad,” Albanese said. “I mean, c’mon. We should be calling him Mr. Bethlehem!”
Photos are welcomed and encouraged during the tour and can be shared on Facebook using the hashtag #SaveArchiesPlace.
