Allentown, Pennsylvania is nationally-known for its park system.
History
Much of the initial planning and funding of Allentown's park system began in the early 20th century, supported by Harry Clay Trexler, a local industrialist who was inspired by the City Beautiful movement. Trexler brought in B. A. Haldeman, a nationally known city park consultant, to Allentown, and Haldeman provided the plans for the development of the growing city. J. Franklin Meehan of Philadelphia was the landscape architect who laid out many of the city's first public parks.
In 1906, Trexler hired Meehan to lay out a park on the land, which opened in 1909. West Park features a bandshell, designed by Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, which has long been home to the Allentown Band and other community bands. Soon after, it became apparent that a need existed for recreational facilities for children and young people. Meetings of the Allentown City Council were held about this and several proposals were presented and discussed.
Allen Park, located in the vicinity of Trout Hall, was the first city park in Allentown, although it did not become city property until 1908. A 6.59-acre (26,700 m) park in what was a community trash pit and sandlot baseball field became Allen Park, the city's first public park established in an upscale area of the city.
In 1912, the city's first public playground was established at Fountain Park. During the summer vacation months, all Allentown School District school grounds are open as neighborhood playgrounds.
Trexler also facilitated the development of Cedar Creek Park, the Allentown Municipal Golf Course and the Trout Nursery in Lehigh Parkway.
Following Trexler's death in 1933, Trexler's summer estate, a 142-acre tract was willed to the City of Allentown and was renamed Trexler Memorial Park. The Harry C. Trexler Trust continues to provide private funding for the maintenance and development of Allentown's public park system.
List of parks and recreation facilities
The following is a list of city parks and recreation facilities located in Allentown:
- Allen Park
- South 4th and West Union Streets
- Map location: 40°36′05″N 075°27′52″W / 40.60139°N 75.46444°W / 40.60139; -75.46444 (Allen Park)
- Part of Trout Hall and Lehigh Country Heritage Museum
- Allentown Municipal Golf Course
- 3200 block West Tilghman Street
- Map location: 40°35′49″N 075°32′05″W / 40.59694°N 75.53472°W / 40.59694; -75.53472 (Allentown Municipal Golf Course)
- A public 18-hole golf course and clubhouse
- Arts Park
- North 4th and West Court Streets
- Map location: 40°36′14″N 075°28′07″W / 40.60389°N 75.46861°W / 40.60389; -75.46861 (Arts Park)
- On Allentown Arts Walk across from Allentown Art Museum, now home to a duo of monumental bronze statues by the French painter and sculptor Jean-Léon Gérôme, "Metallurgical Worker" and "Metallurgical Science", painted in 1903, which celebrates steel workers and the steel-era that was an inluential Allentown-area industry for most of the 20th century
- 510 West Linden Street
- Map location: 40°35′15″N 075°28′32″W / 40.58750°N 75.47556°W / 40.58750; -75.47556 (Bicentennial Park)
- A softball park, currently home of the Philadelphia Force
- Bucky Boyle Park
- North Front and West Linden streets
- Map location: 40°36′38″N 075°27′22″W / 40.61056°N 75.45611°W / 40.61056; -75.45611 (Bucky Boyle Park)
- Two baseball diamonds, large playarea
- Canal Park
- South Albert Street
- Map location: 40°35′56″N 075°26′59″W / 40.59889°N 75.44972°W / 40.59889; -75.44972 (Canal Park)
- A large, wooded driving park between Lehigh Canal and Lehigh River with substantial green space
- Cedar Creek Park
- Along Parkway Boulevard, West End of Allentown
- Map location: 40°35′35″N 075°30′40″W / 40.59306°N 75.51111°W / 40.59306; -75.51111 (Cedar Creek Park)
- Large park over 90 Acres, from Lake Muhlenburg west to Cedar Crest Boulevard. Developed in the late 1920s by Mayor Malcom Gross, Sr. Includes tennis courts, children's play area, Cedar Beach public swimming pool, Allentown Rose Garden, and large areas for picnics and recreation activities.
- East Side Memorial Little League
- South Bradford and East Maple Streets
- Map location: 40°36′23″N 075°27′02″W / 40.60639°N 75.45056°W / 40.60639; -75.45056 (East Side Memorial Little League)
- Baseball diamond
- East Side Reservoir
- South Halstead and East Union Streets
- Map location: 40°36′34″N 075°26′27″W / 40.60944°N 75.44083°W / 40.60944; -75.44083 (East Side Reservoir)
- Large area for picnics and recreation activities
- East Side Youth Center
- 1140 East Clair Street
- Map location: 40°37′01″N 075°26′11″W / 40.61694°N 75.43639°W / 40.61694; -75.43639 (East Side Youth Center)
- Youth Center, baseball, soccer recreation fields
- Fellowship East Playlot
- North 2nd and West Hamilton streets
- Map location: 40°36′20″N 075°27′34″W / 40.60556°N 75.45944°W / 40.60556; -75.45944 (Fellowship East Playlot)
- Neighborhood playground
- Fountain Park
- Lehigh Street and Martin Luther King Drive
- Map location: 40°35′52″N 075°27′54″W / 40.59778°N 75.46500°W / 40.59778; -75.46500 (Fountain Park)
- Large, drive-thru park with public swimming pool, picnic, and recreation areas
- Franklin Park
- 218 North 14th Street
- Map location: 40°36′05″N 075°29′17″W / 40.60139°N 75.48806°W / 40.60139; -75.48806 (Franklin Park)
- Former Franklin Elementary School and now a combination children's playground and asphalt parking lot
- Hamilton Park Playlot
- South Ott Street and East Texas Boulevard
- Map location: 40°35′03″N 075°30′28″W / 40.58417°N 75.50778°W / 40.58417; -75.50778 (Hamilton Park Playlo)
- Large park with two baseball diamonds, tennis courts, basketball court, a children's play area, and a picnic and recreation area
- Howard Keck Juniata Playlot
- Keck and Juniata Streets
- Map location: 40°35′07″N 075°28′25″W / 40.58528°N 75.47361°W / 40.58528; -75.47361 (Howard Keck Juniata Playlot)
- Neighborhood playground and a picnic and recreation area
- Irving Park
- North Irving and East Tilghman streets
- Map location: 40°37′12″N 075°26′25″W / 40.62000°N 75.44028°W / 40.62000; -75.44028 (Irving Park)
- Established in 1940, including a city swimming pool, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, and a picnic and recreation area
- Ithaca Playlot
- Ithaca and 31st Street Southwest
- Map location: 40°33′18″N 075°28′36″W / 40.55500°N 75.47667°W / 40.55500; -75.47667 (Ithaca Playlot)
- Neighborhood playground, picnic and recreation area
- Jordan Meadows
- West Gordon Street and American Parkway
- Map location: 40°36′43″N 075°27′56″W / 40.61194°N 75.46556°W / 40.61194; -75.46556 (Jordan Meadows)
- Large park including tennis and basketball courts, running track, athletic field, wooded areas and picnic areas along Jordan Creek
- Jordan Park
- Michigan Avenue and North Street Extension
- Map location: 40°37′11″N 075°28′39″W / 40.61972°N 75.47750°W / 40.61972; -75.47750 (Jordan Park)
- City public swimming pool and a large park with numerous baseball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts, and picnic and recreation areas along Jordan Creek
- Joseph S. Daddona Lake and Terrace
- South St. Elmo and West Union streets
- Map location: 40°35′32″N 075°29′46″W / 40.59222°N 75.49611°W / 40.59222; -75.49611 (Joseph S. Daddona Lake and Terrace)
- Formerly Union Terrace Park. Large, 21 Acre park built by WPA over a former mosquito wetland. Park features WPA built grass and stone outdoor amphitheater. Includes Union Terrace Lake, baseball diamonds and recreation fields, also areas for picnicking and recreation.
- Keck Park
- South Austin Street
- Map location: 40°36′07″N 075°26′42″W / 40.60194°N 75.44500°W / 40.60194; -75.44500 (Keck Park)
- Driving park loop though wooded area. also large grassy area for picnicking and recreation
- Kimmets Landing (Lehigh Canal)
- Allentown Drive and North Dauphin Street
- Map location: 40°37′32″N 075°27′32″W / 40.62556°N 75.45889°W / 40.62556; -75.45889 (Kimmets Landing)
- Former Lehigh Canal lock. Wooded area, parking and small grassy areas for recreation
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References
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMapDownload coordinates as:
- ^ Allentown, 1762–1987, a 225 Year history, Volume II, 1921–1987, Lehigh County Historical Society, 1987.
- ^ Whelan, Frank (May 29, 2005). "West Park the iconic home for Allentown bands". The Morning Call. pp. E.1. ProQuest 393163310.
- "Allentown, PA - Parks". Archived from the original on 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
- Allentown Park inventory
External links
| City of Allentown | |
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