Trout Hall facts for kids
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Trout Hall
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Trout Hall in Allentown in June 2008
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 414 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Area | 0.8 acres (0.32 ha) |
| Built | 1768-1770 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002425 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 14, 1978 |
Trout Hall is a very old and historic house in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. This special home was built a long time ago, between 1768 and 1770. It is a two-and-a-half-story building made of stone. The house was built in a style called Georgian architecture, which was popular back then.
Trout Hall was first built as a summer home. It belonged to James Allen, who was the third son of William Allen. William Allen was the person who founded Allentown. Today, Trout Hall is home to the library and museum of the Lehigh County Historical Society.
Contents
History of Trout Hall
The 1700s: How it Started
In 1735, a rich merchant named William Allen bought a huge piece of land. It was about 5,000 acres in what was then the colony of Province of Pennsylvania.
By 1762, William Allen planned out a town with 42 blocks. He called it Northampton Towne. But people usually called it Allen's Town, and later it became Allentown.
James Allen (1742-1778) was William Allen's third son. He became a lawyer and was very busy. He was elected to the Philadelphia council and the Pennsylvania Assembly.
Because he was so busy, James Allen often sent others to manage Allentown. But sometimes, he would travel 60 miles from Philadelphia to Allentown. This long trip made him decide he needed his own house there. He built a two-story stone house and named it Trout Hall. He chose this name because there were many trout fish in the creeks and the Lehigh River nearby.
James Allen passed away on September 19, 1778, from a sickness called tuberculosis. After he died, his wife remarried. His daughters often stayed at Trout Hall.
The 1800s: New Names and Uses
On May 17, 1789, James Allen's daughters left Allentown. The house was empty until the winter of 1825. James's oldest daughter, Anne Penn Greanleaf, gave some of the land around Trout Hall to her own daughter. At this time, the name Trout Hall was changed. The home was then called The Livingston Mansion.
The Livingston family were merchants. In 1847, they had a business problem. The house and land were sold to help pay off their debts. The new owner, Comegys Paul, sold the house just one week later and made a profit. In 1848, the house became the Allentown Seminary, a school. Later, in 1867, it was the first location for Muhlenberg College. The college later moved to its current campus.
The 1900s: Becoming a Museum
On January 9, 1904, the Lehigh County Historical Society was started. Their goal was to find and fix up historical places in Lehigh County. They wanted to save the history of Trout Hall. They fixed the east side of the house, which had not been touched for many years. One year later, in 1905, Muhlenberg College moved to its new campus. The Historical Society then changed the building's name back to Trout Hall.
Today, Trout Hall is a museum. It has items from the American Revolution for people to see. It also shows off the house's old 18th-century design.
In 1978, Trout Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a very important historical site.
See also
