Old Lehigh County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Built in stages on a Hamilton Street site in Allentown, the courthouse began as a stone Federal style building completed in 1819, when court was first held there in 1817. Its 1864 remodelling by Eber Culver, a Williamsport carpenter-builder, added the Italianate cruciform block, bracketed eaves, a three-stage wooden cupola and a Palladian window on the Hamilton Street pavilion. An 1880-81 brick law library wing followed. The 1914-16 north addition by Henry Anderson has light gray granite walls and an ornate courtroom. The building housed county courts and offices from 1817 to 1965, and it is regarded locally for its courtroom and for the long Camp and Zimmerman land litigation heard there. Its surviving 1864 interior and its architectural and civic associations were the main reasons for its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is the oldest public building in Allentown and the only Italianate style public building there, and that its 1864 remodelling by Williamsport architect Eber Culver gives it a picturesque, mid-19th century character. It also cites the 1914-16 Beaux Arts style north addition as an outstanding example of monumental early 20th century public architecture, and the building's long role as the county's court and government centre.
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 81000550, listed September 11, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5th and Hamilton Sts., Allentown |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | September 11, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000550 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Eber Culver (architect, 1864 remodelling); Henry Anderson (architect, 1914-16 addition); Butz & Clader (contractor, 1914-16 addition) |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Beaux Arts; Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Law, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a county museum, county offices, a historical society and an auditorium, with the 1914-16 courtroom occupied by a federal court; the building was designated a historical park in 1971. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 40.60380, -75.46744 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 81000550.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7084360
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.