Allentown (pop. 125,845) is a city in eastern Pennsylvania. It lies on the Lehigh River, across from Bethlehem. Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton form a metropolitan area with 861,889 people.
Allentown was once an important manufacturing center. Factories produced clothing, electronic equipment, food products, industrial machinery, metal products, and trucks. By the late 1900’s, many factories had shut down and manufacturing had declined in importance. Today, health care and other services are major sources of employment in Allentown. The city is also a chief maker of cryogenic equipment and gases, used to produce extreme cold for scientific and industrial purposes. Allentown is an important point for pipeline transportation and tank storage of petroleum and natural gas. Airlines, truck lines, and freight railroads serve the city.
Allentown’s downtown business district is laid out around a central square near the Lehigh River. A brick-paved mall forms part of the main shopping street. Brick row houses, many of which were built during the 1800’s, are the most common type of housing in Allentown. Many of the people are descendants of Germans who moved to Pennsylvania during the 1600’s and 1700’s. They are often called Pennsylvania Dutch. Allentown is an important center of Pennsylvania Dutch culture. See Pennsylvania Dutch .
Allentown is the home of Cedar Crest College and Muhlenberg College. The city has a symphony orchestra, a professional theater company, and an art museum. The Allentown Band is the oldest civilian concert band in the United States.
Allentown, originally called Northampton Town, was founded in 1762 by William Allen, chief justice of Pennsylvania. British troops captured Philadelphia in September 1777, during the American Revolution. The Liberty Bell was then moved from Philadelphia to Allentown for safety. It remained concealed in Allentown in Zion’s Reformed Church until the summer of 1778, when it was returned to Philadelphia. Allentown became an incorporated city in 1867. In the late 1900’s, the city carried out a number of development projects to preserve historical districts and rehabilitate housing.
Allentown is the seat of Lehigh County. It has a mayor-council government.
