Fountain Hill Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Lehigh Valley Railroad Headquarters
Why it's listed
Fountain Hill is a residential district on a hill south of the Lehigh River in Bethlehem, with mansions, smaller houses, and a cathedral built mostly between 1857 and 1905. Its early residents were senior managers of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Bethlehem Iron Company. Robert Sayre, the railroad's chief engineer and later general superintendent, built a Gothic Revival estate at Third and Wyandotte streets in 1857. Garrett B. Linderman, a Bethlehem Iron general manager, completed a cut-granite Chateauesque mansion at 557 West Third Street in 1870. The district also holds the railroad headquarters, a circa 1886 building on Brighton Street. Nativity Episcopal Cathedral, a stone Gothic Revival church dating to about 1866, stands at the district's eastern edge. Most of the houses are brick, and about 21 have been converted to apartments. The district is regarded as Bethlehem's largest and best preserved group of late 19th century high-style residences.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant in industry and transportation because its residences housed upper and middle managers of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Bethlehem Iron Company. It also holds the railroad headquarters and one of Bethlehem's largest and best preserved collections of late 19th century high-style domestic architecture.
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 88000450, listed April 21, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Brighton, Wyandotte, W. Fourth and Seminole Sts., and Delaware Ave., Bethlehem |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | April 21, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000450 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1857-1925 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Chateauesque, Georgian Revival, Tudor Revival, Shingle, Spanish Revival, Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 33.6 |
| Coordinates | 40.61150, -75.38518 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 88000450.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5474728
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.