Photos of Lehigh Valley

Photos of Lehigh Valley Landscapes, Historic farms, Homes, and unique historical perspectives provided by our viewers! It’s not my birthplace but I call it home,

Not tourism, but hyper-local history. ♥️ Images of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Carbon Schuylkill Counties and Elsewhere!♥️ With the support of my friend Wayne Leibel (RIP) I began capturing images of the historic farms and beautiful vistas of Lehigh and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania. The Poconos are to our North; Berks county to our West; New Jersey to our East; and Montgomery County is to our South.

A stone-lined stream bed at Coplay. This stream bed and its improvements lie in close proximity to the historic Butz Far...
08/21/2026

A stone-lined stream bed at Coplay. This stream bed and its improvements lie in close proximity to the historic Butz Farm.

History of Stream "Armoring"

The stone-lined ditch or stream channel in is a classic example of stream armoring (historically referred to as masonry channelization or early riprap engineering).

The Purpose: -

In the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, landowners and farmers built dry-laid or mortared stone retaining walls along waterways to prevent soil erosion and lock a stream into a fixed path.

Agricultural Protection: -

Left alone, streams naturally meander, eroding valuable agricultural fields or threatening the structural integrity of nearby barns, homes, and roads.

Proto-Industrial Use: -

In early Pennsylvania settlements, streams were frequently directed into stone-lined sluices or raceways to cleanly funnel water toward gristmills or farm ponds without washing out the banks.

The Modern Shift: -

While these hand-laid stone channels are beautiful historic features, modern civil engineering and ecology have shifted away from "hard armoring". Today, hard stone channels are known to speed up water flow, which can worsen erosion downstream.

Modern conservation efforts prefer "soft bioengineering," using deep-rooted native plants and sloped banks to naturally slow and absorb stormwater.

“Auburn street was given that name because of the Railroad that was suppose to connect with the Central Railroad of New ...
08/21/2026

“Auburn street was given that name because of the Railroad that was suppose to connect with the Central Railroad of New Jersey nearby at East Penn JCT and go all the way to Auburn Schuylkill County for the express purpose of hauling Anthracite coal into the Lehigh Valley and beyond to North Jersey and New York City back in 1855. It didn't happen because of a financial panic. Only portions were completed by the Reading Railroad when they took over the assets of the Allentown & Auburn railroad in the 1860's. Today you can ride on occasion the only segment of the original Allentown Railroad from Kutztown to Topton and back on the today Allentown & Auburn Railroad company. Here is a historical account of the Allentown & Auburn Railroad. https://www.kutztownboro.org/wp-content/uploads/kutztown_train_station/RailroadArticle-JS.pdf “. - Jim Schlegel

Leo’s Barber Shop and the Working-class Legacy of North Fourth Street, Easton The row house at 82 N 4th Street—the long-...
08/20/2026

Leo’s Barber Shop and the Working-class Legacy of North Fourth Street, Easton

The row house at 82 N 4th Street—the long-time home of Leo's Barber Shop—and North 4th Street itself are steeped in the deep, working-class immigrant history of downtown Easton.

The History of 82 N 4th Street-

The brick building hosting Leo’s Barber Shop is a classic late-19th to turn-of-the-century urban row house. Originally designed to blend commercial space on the first floor with residential housing above, it stands as a testament to Easton's mid-century immigrant revitalization:

The Birth of Leo's (1950s):

The building's modern history is completely intertwined with Leo Emili, an Italian immigrant from Senigallia, Italy. Leo moved to Easton and established the barbershop here in the 1950s. For over half a century, the building's first floor served as a neighborhood anchor where locals gathered for haircuts, straight-razor shaves, and lively community debates.

The Legacy Continues (2012–Present):

In 2012, barber Chris Corona took over the shop. He intentionally preserved the mid-century look, feel, and traditional barbering culture that Leo spent decades building within those historic walls.

The History of North 4th Street-

North 4th Street is one of the most historically vibrant blocks in the Downtown Historic District. It provides a snapshot of how Easton grew from a colonial settlement into a bustling commercial hub:

The Original Name:

When William Parsons mapped out Easton's grid in the 1750s, 4th Street was originally named Hamilton Street. It was later renamed as part of a citywide effort to simplify the street layout into numbered avenues.

Architecture:

The street is famous for its mid-to-late 19th-century architecture. You will find brick Italianate and Victorian-style commercial row houses (built around the 1850s to 1900s) that mirror the architecture of 82 N 4th Street.

A Hub for Everyday Trade:

While North 3rd Street was historically known as "Millionaires' Row" for its opulent mansions, North 4th Street developed as the heartbeat of everyday working-class commerce. Over the decades, it hosted local fixtures directly across from or next to Leo's, such as the historic Easton Typewriter Company and old local printing operations near the former Easton Express building.

Preservation & Modern Renaissance:

Today, North 4th Street retains its historic commercial identity. While the upper floors of its historic row houses have been carefully restored into apartments, the street-level storefronts continue to thrive as a hub for local businesses, including boutique storefronts and grooming staples like Leo's and nearby Gentlemen's Barbershop.

I call this image The Stripes of Summer, lol.I have been kept super-busy with work related travel. Hence the scarcity ...
08/18/2026

I call this image The Stripes of Summer, lol.
I have been kept super-busy with work related travel.
Hence the scarcity of new shots- doesn’t help with the rain hitting us each weekend! LOL!
Anyway rain or not Thank You All for hanging in there with me! Hoping once the weather cools a bit, then photo opportunities pick up. - M

This beautiful homestead was established by Johann Friederich Shollenberger (and his descendants), an early immigrant f...
08/16/2026

This beautiful homestead was established by Johann Friederich Shollenberger (and his descendants), an early immigrant from Germany who settled and acquired large tracts of farmland in the Kutztown and Rockland Township areas.

A little bit of history of this country gem:

The historic structures on the land date back to the late 18th to early 19th centuries, making the core property over 200 years old.

The Deep History and Local Connections-

The Ancestral Graveyard:

One of the most unique and historically significant aspects of the Shollenberger farm is that it houses the private Shollenberger family burial plot directly on the property. Because it is on private farmland, it remains a hidden piece of early Berks County history where the original pioneer family members are laid to rest.

The Schlegel and Aulenbach Connection:

The reason for the naming confusion is simple—the Shollenbergers, Schlegels, and Aulenbachs were all prominent, neighboring Pennsylvania German families who intermarried over the last two centuries. As land was split, sold, or passed down through dowries and inheritance, portions of these adjacent Dryville Road farms frequently shifted hands between these exact three families.

While architectural records track the specific hands that laid the stones, the local community rightfully remembers the entire stretch of land by the Shollenberger legacy.

The 1997 Arson Spree-While the original stone and timber barn on this site dated back to the 1860s (and was carefully re...
08/15/2026

The 1997 Arson Spree-

While the original stone and timber barn on this site dated back to the 1860s (and was carefully refurbished over many years by its owner, Robert Costello), it was tragically lost.

In August 1997, northwestern Lehigh County was plagued by a devastating arson spree. Local farmers armed themselves to patrol rural roads, but at approximately 9:00 PM on Friday, August 22, 1997, this specific barn was torched.

It was the sixth in a string of seven catastrophic agricultural fires lit by arsonists in a single week across the northern Lehigh Valley. The fire completely gutted the original structure, leaving only portions of the lower stone walls standing.

🔨 The Rebirth and Architecture-

Following the fire, owners Dawn and Robert Costello set out to rebuild. They initially attempted to commission traditional Amish builders to resurrect a fully accurate wooden framework. Ultimately, a modern, highly durable hybrid structure was completed to replicate the silhouette of the classic Pennsylvania German Bank Barn:

The Stone Foundation: -

Built directly against a hillside slope (or "bank") to allow wagon entry directly into the second-story haymow from the rear, while cattle were traditionally sheltered on the ground level below.

The Foreground Extension: -

The lower level features a white-washed wall punctuated by symmetrical rows of slatted red louvered ventilation windows, mimicking the functional style of 19th-century German farmsteads.

Trexler Legacy Connections: -

Prior to the mid-20th century, this land and its structures operated as part of an extensive sheep-farming property amassed by local industrialist and philanthropist General Harry C. Trexler.

Trexler famously assembled the surrounding acreage to build his vast game preserve—now known as the Trexler Nature Preserve and home to the Lehigh Valley Zoo just down the road.

Blessings for Saturday!
08/15/2026

Blessings for Saturday!

08/15/2026

How electricity gets pirated from communities and redirected to data centers.

The Wertman Family and Maple Lawn Farm There is a rich history attached to this land that stretches back more than 150 y...
08/14/2026

The Wertman Family and Maple Lawn Farm

There is a rich history attached to this land that stretches back more than 150 years before the current 1916 barn was ever constructed.

The Original 18th-Century Homestead-

The property—historically known as Maple Lawn Farm—sits in the heart of historic "Wertman Territory" along what is now Springhouse Road/Gun Club Road in Lowhill Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

The First Settler: George Philip Wertman

The broader land tract was originally settled in the mid-1700s by the family patriarch, George Philip Wertman (1724–1781), a German immigrant who arrived in Pennsylvania in the 1750s.

The Original Log Cabin: -

Long before the modern structures were erected, the very first homestead on this location was a traditional primitive log cabin built near the local crossroads.

Evolution to Stone: -

As the family line grew and prospered through the 19th century, the original log structures were eventually replaced by a permanent, historic Pennsylvania-German stone house that still stands nearby on the property today.

The 1916 William J.S. Wertman Barn-

The white bank barn pictured is a later addition to this deeply rooted family estate, built by descendant William J.S. Wertman in 1916. It serves as a classic example of Pennsylvania-German agricultural architecture, utilizing a heavy stone foundation embedded into the hillside and proudly featuring traditional painted Pennsylvania Dutch geometric stars under the roof eaves.

The property has remained remarkably well-preserved within the family for generations, even hosting a private basement museum maintained by descendants to protect the family's deep colonial-era agricultural artifacts and records.

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Allentown, PA

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+16104175844

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