National Register of Historic Places listings in Northampton County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Northampton County, Pennsylvania, is home to many amazing places that are super old and important! This list tells you about the buildings, areas, and structures in Northampton County that are officially recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. Think of it like a special hall of fame for historic sites across the United States.
When a place is on this list, it means it's really important to the history, architecture, or culture of the area. There are 63 such places in Northampton County. Four of these are even more special and are called National Historic Landmarks. These landmarks are considered important to the entire country!
Contents
What is the National Register of Historic Places?
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worth saving. It's managed by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. government.
Why are places listed?
Places get listed for many reasons. Maybe they are:
- Very old: Like buildings from the 1700s or 1800s.
- Beautiful or unique: They show special styles of architecture.
- Important to history: Famous people lived there, or big events happened there.
- Good examples of a type of building: Like old mills, bridges, or factories.
When a place is listed, it helps protect it and can sometimes provide money to help keep it in good shape. It also helps people learn about the past!
Cool Historic Places in Northampton County
Let's explore some of the fascinating places you can find on the National Register in Northampton County.
Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District
This is a huge and very important area in Bethlehem. It's not just one building, but a whole neighborhood that tells the story of the Moravian community. The Moravians were a group of Christians who came to Pennsylvania in the 1700s looking for religious freedom.
They built their town in a very organized way, with special buildings for living, working, and worship. This district includes many of their original buildings, like the Gemeinhaus (a large community house) and the Old Waterworks (an early water system). It's a National Historic Landmark District because it shows how these early settlers lived and built their community.
Gemeinhaus-Lewis David de Schweinitz Residence
This building, located at 66 West Church Street in Bethlehem, is part of the Moravian Historic District and is a National Historic Landmark on its own! The Gemeinhaus was built in 1741 and was one of the first buildings in the Moravian settlement. It served as a home, a church, and a school for the early community. Later, a famous botanist named Lewis David de Schweinitz lived there.
Old Waterworks
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Also in Bethlehem, near the Monocacy Creek, is the Old Waterworks. This is super cool because it was one of the first public water systems in America! Built by the Moravians in 1754, it used a waterwheel to pump water from the creek up to a storage tank. From there, wooden pipes carried fresh water to different parts of the town. This was a very advanced system for its time and shows how clever the early settlers were. It's also a National Historic Landmark.
Lehigh Canal
The Lehigh Canal is a long waterway that runs alongside the Lehigh River. Canals were like old-fashioned highways for boats, used to transport goods like coal and other materials. Different parts of the Lehigh Canal are listed on the National Register, showing how important it was for trade and industry in Pennsylvania. You can find sections of it in places like Lehigh Township, Walnutport, and Easton. It's a great place to walk or bike today and imagine the boats from long ago.
Historic Bridges
Northampton County has several historic bridges on the list, which are important examples of old engineering.
- Chain Bridge: Southwest of Glendon, this bridge crosses the Lehigh River. It's a cool example of early bridge building.
- Bridge in Bangor Borough: This bridge crosses Martins Creek in Bangor.
- County Bridge No. 36: Located in Portland, this bridge crosses Jacoby Creek.
- Kreidersville Covered Bridge: North of Northampton, this is a classic covered bridge, which are becoming rarer and rarer!
Old Mills and Factories
Many places on the list are old mills and factories, which tell the story of how people worked and made things in the past.
- Bethlehem Silk Mill: In Bethlehem, this was once a busy factory making silk.
- Bethlehem Steel Lehigh Plant Mill No. 2 Annex: This building in Bethlehem was part of the huge Bethlehem Steel company, which was very important for making steel for buildings and bridges.
- Coffeetown Grist Mill: South of Easton, a grist mill was a place where grain was ground into flour.
- Illick's Mill: Another old mill in Bethlehem.
- Lehigh Valley Silk Mills: In Fountain Hill, another example of the region's silk industry.
- McCollum and Post Silk Mill: In Nazareth, showing the widespread silk production.
- R. and H. Simon Silk Mill: In Easton, another large silk mill that was important to the local economy.
Historic Homes and Districts
Many individual houses and whole neighborhoods are recognized for their historical importance.
- Jacob Arndt House and Barn: A historic farmstead in Williams Township.
- Easton Historic District: A large area in Easton with many historic buildings.
- Moravian Sun Inn: In Bethlehem, this old inn was a famous stopping place for travelers in the 1700s and 1800s.
- Nazareth Hall Tract: In Nazareth, this area includes Nazareth Hall, a historic school building.
- Whitefield House and Gray Cottage: Also in Nazareth, these buildings are connected to the early Moravian settlement.
Former Listing
Sometimes, a historic place might be removed from the National Register. This usually happens if the building is destroyed or changed so much that it loses its historic importance.
- Fountain Hill Opera House: This building in Bethlehem was once listed but was later removed from the Register.
Images for kids
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The Jacob Arndt House and Barn.
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The Colonial Hotel in the Bangor Historic District.
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The Bethlehem Silk Mill.
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Bethlehem Steel Lehigh Plant Mill No. 2 Annex.
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The historic bridge in Bangor Borough.
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A historic bridge in Williams Township.
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A section of the Lehigh Canal.
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Buildings in the Central Bethlehem Historic District.
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The Chain Bridge over the Lehigh River.
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The Coffeetown Grist Mill.
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St. Peter Lutheran Church in the College Hill Residential Historic District.
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County Bridge No. 36.
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A view of the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal.
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The Seventh Street Gate at Easton Cemetery.
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Buildings in the Easton Historic District.
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The Easton House.
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Buildings in the Ehrhart's Mill Historic District.
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A street in the Elmwood Park Historic District.
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The Masonic Temple in the Fountain Hill Historic District.
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The Gemeinhaus in Bethlehem.
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The Gristmiller's House.
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The Michael and Margaret Heller House.
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The William Jacob Heller House.
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The Moravian Church, part of the Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District.
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Illick's Mill.
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A barn at the Jacobsburg Historic District.
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The Kreidersville Covered Bridge.
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Lock 25 on the Lehigh Canal.
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An aqueduct on the Lehigh Canal.
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The Lehigh Valley Railroad Headquarters Building.
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The Lehigh Valley Silk Mills.
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The Lutz-Franklin School.
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The McCollum and Post Silk Mill.
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The Jacob Mixsell House.
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The Moravian Sun Inn.
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Nazareth Hall.
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Center Square in the Nazareth Historic District.
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The Jacob Nicholas House.
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The Old Waterworks.
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Packer Memorial Chapel.
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The Parsons-Taylor House.
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Homes in the Pembroke Village Historic District.
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The Real Estate Building in Bangor.
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The Seipsville Hotel.
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The R. and H. Simon Silk Mill.
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The Herman Simon House.
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A street in the South Bethlehem Downtown Historic District.
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The State Theatre in Easton.
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The Daniel Steckel House.
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The Isaac Stout House.
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The Tannery in Bethlehem.
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The Weona Park Carousel.
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The Whitefield House.
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The Zeta Psi Fraternity House.
