Category:618 Hamilton Building, Allentown, Pennsylvania

The Dugan & Fry Furnature Company was founded in Allentown on May 15th, 1893 by Elmer E Dugan and Joseph P Fry. It was operated through the years by the same two families until 1955.

The store was origionally known as the Lehigh Valley Furnishings Company, being opened at 341 Hamilton Street. Later, the buisness was moved to 34 North Seventh, and later to 520 Hamilton. In 1903, the partners built a new store at 618 Hamilton, and it became an all-glass front store in 1914, with display windows on each of its four floors.

Dugan & Fry sold the building to Lipkins in 1955, and the upper floors were enclosed. Lipkins sold the property to Eastern Light Corporation in 1966, which opened "Eastern Furniture" at the same location. The company moving its furniture buisness to the new location and keeping it's appliance sales at 520 Hamilton. The buisness later expanded to include the 614-615 Hamilton buildings as the bushiness grew.

Eastern Furniture closed in 1984 when its parent company reogganized and moved out of its Hamilton Street locations. It was taken over by Schoen's Furniture, which also operated at 610-612 Hamilton. Schoens sold furniture in it until 1993 when Schoens closed and the building became vacant.

The structure was torn down in 1995, along with 614 and 616 Hamilton. With the raising of the properties, the east side of Zion's church was exposed to light for the first time since the 1870s. This allowed rays of sunshine to stream through the church's stained glass, brightening even the gloomiest corners. Today the property is a park and a parking lot.