Eleven Properties Included In 2015 Tour
Allentown, Pa. – Several of West Park’s most beautiful homes will once again be on display for visitors as the West Park Civic Association hosts its 33rd Annual House Tour that will include special visits to three buildings in Center City Allentown that have helped define the renaissance currently underway there.
A complimentary trolley will be provided for guests who want to tour the downtown destinations such as the renovated Trifecta Building at 612 Hamilton St., the Presidential Suite at the Renaissance Hotel and the Strata Flats apartments. The former Schoen’s Furniture store has undergone a magnificent transformation that includes the addition of a glass wall that looks out on the Zion UCC Church and some of the newest buildings in Allentown, including the PPL Center arena and City Center Two, home to National Penn Bank and several other leading Lehigh Valley employers.
The Renaissance Hotel has incorporated the classic Dime Bank building into its entrance next to the PPL Center and the soon-to-open Strata Flats have already become one of the city’s most sought-after addresses.
The tour runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tickets can be purchased in advance for $12 at the following locations: Albrights Hardware, C. Leslie Smith, Phoebe Floral, Walter’s Pharmacy, Hummus House, and BoutiqueToGo, or purchased online at http://www.westpark-ca.org/ through PayPal. Tickets will also be available at Art in the Park on June 20. Tickets are available the day of the tour for $15 at the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, 1620 W. Turner Street.
The Masonic Temple has graciously provided free parking in their lot at 1524 West Linden Street.
“We are particularly proud to highlight these great new additions to the West Park House Tour because of what they mean to the revitalization of our city and because of the classic architecture and style displayed in each of these buildings,” said Tom Yuracka, President of the West Park Civic Association. “The Art Deco architecture of the Dime Bank building and the beautiful terra cotta façade of the Trifecta building are all tied into the history of the old and new Allentown.”
“And we are just as proud to once again display the wonderful homes in the West Park neighborhood, where home owners continue to show just how beautiful and graceful city living can be,” Yuracka continued. “From the beautiful woodwork and stained glass that remains in several of the homes on the tour, such as the Thiel family home and the home of concert pianist Dr. Robert Miller, truly show the artistry that went into the construction of these homes and the pride of the current owners who do so much to maintain them.”
Guests can visit 11 different properties and:
- View the progress of renovations on the Shimer Mansion’s carriage house, currently being restored by Jaindl Properties;
- Take in the 360-degree view from the roof top pavilion of The Livingston after touring one of two of its apartments, one decorated with contemporary flair and the other furnished with antique and vintage pieces; and
- Marvel at the rarely seen, but spectacular historic lodge rooms at the Masonic Temple, each designed in a different period style: Egyptian, Doric, Gothic, and Renaissance.
The trolley runs from the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, 1620 Turner Street, to the historic Dime Savings and Loan building at 7th and Hamilton Streets and the gateway to the new Renaissance Hotel Allentown and the tour of the ‘industrial chic’ 10th-floor Presidential Suite where guests will enjoy refreshments on the terrace.
Guests can also enter a drawing to win one of three autographed copies of My Father, In Snow, by local author E. Sheila Johnson.
Live music will be provided at several homes.
**Please wear soft-soled shoes, as heels may damage floors.**
This year’s tour is hosted by West Park Civic Association and sponsored by City Center Lehigh Valley, Jaindl Properties, National Penn Bank, and Perry Rome Productions.
For additional information please visit the West Park Civic Association website at http://www.westpark-ca.org/ or call (610) 737-7132.
