BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. — As Historic Moravian Bethlehem sits on the ballot for World Heritage status, one local initiative is looking to renovate another historic site in Bethlehem Township.
With an estimated price tag of $1.5 million, the nonprofit Archie Project is raising funds to support the mission of revamping and opening Archibald Johnston Mansion — the home of Bethlehem’s first mayor — to the public.
- One local group aims to renovate the inside, open the home of Bethlehem's first mayor for public use
- The Archie Project, alongside community partnerships, is spearheading the project, fundraising
- The project would cost around $1.5 million
The makeover of the three-story, 6,000-square-foot historic estate would offer a “diverse and inclusive community engagement center,” highlighting education, the arts and public and private events, according to project group members.
“The history of Bethlehem is deeply entrenched in the Johnston story. As the first mayor of Bethlehem and a leader within the Bethlehem Steel Company, it is important to keep the Archie story alive.”Archie Project members
“The history of Bethlehem is deeply entrenched in the Johnston story,” members Charles Jaquish and Lucia Leão wrote in an email.
“As the first mayor of Bethlehem and a leader within the Bethlehem Steel Company, it is important to keep the Archie story alive.”
Goals, partnerships
The home lies within Housenick Park, a passive park housing 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.
Township commissioners and the Housenick Foundation Trustees agreed in 2019 to fix the outside of the building as long as a private group funded interior renovations, according to the Archie Project website.
It’s been a multi-year effort since the Archie Project’s founding, a century after Johnston took his position as top city leader, those involved have said.
“Remediation of antiquated building materials must take place to protect future users. Plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems are also needed to allow for year-round use of the building.”archieproject.org
“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 members made note that several years ago the township approved a $900,000 site weatherproofing project. The Housenick family fronted the money.
The Archie Project also has formed a relationship with Lehigh University to preserve Johnston’s artifacts, according to its website.
Other project partnerships include Camel’s Hump Farm, Friends of Johnston, Bethlehem Steel Archivist and historians from the Moravian Church, among others.
The group has acquired or is pursuing grant opportunities from local and statewide corporations and foundations, as well as casino and hotel tax money distributions to fund the work.
Project members said donations can be mailed to PO Box 3405, 3232 Easton Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18020.
While waiting for the site to open, those interested can also take a virtual tour of the historic mansion.
More on former Mayor Johnston
Archibald Johnston took office in 1918.
He led a commission in the construction of the Hill to Hill Bridge, a landmark joining the North and South sides of the city.
Among other achievements during his days as mayor and community notable, he was well known for leading the efforts in combining three boroughs — Bethlehem, South Bethlehem and Northampton Heights — into the city we know today.
