Allentown National Bank
Also known as: Meridian Bank
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 as the headquarters of the Allentown National Bank, the eight-story steel-frame building stands on a small parcel near Center Square, its limestone base and terra cotta upper floors executed in the Beaux Arts style. The main banking floor holds a domed rotunda supported by six onyx columns, with ornamental plasterwork and carving by sculptors of the period. Designed by the local firm of Jacoby, Weishampel & Biggin, the building was completed at a cost of $270,000 and was occupied by the bank until its 1954 merger with the Second National Bank. The bank had been founded in 1855 and was regarded as the region's leading financial institution in the early twentieth century. Its interior banking hall and facades are the main reasons for its listing, together with its role in the commercial life of the city. The upper floors were leased as professional offices, and the building remains one of the few early twentieth-century bank buildings surviving in downtown Allentown.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its association with the bank, which it describes as the city's leading financial institution for the first half of the twentieth century, and for its Beaux Arts facades and classical banking rotunda. It is presented as one of the few surviving early twentieth-century bank buildings in downtown Allentown.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05001490, listed December 28, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 13-17 N. Seventh St., Allentown |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | December 28, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001490 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Jacoby, Weishampel & Biggin (architect); W.H. Gangewere and M.T.J. Ochs (contractors); William Gangewere (builder) |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant in the early 1990s; the building was later redeveloped for an assisted living facility under a tax credit program. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.60469, -75.47100 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05001490.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4732069
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.