Category:Allentown Public Library, Allentown, Pennsylvania

The Allentown Public Library is located at 1210 Hamilton Street (12th and Hamilton Streets). The library officially opened on November 25th, 1912, however its history goes back to the early 1800s. On December 22d, 1810, a meeting of the Allentown English Language Circulating Library met at the house of Colonel George Rhoads to elect officers and form a constitution. The circulating library is shrouded in mystery. No one knows how long it lasted. It apparently had many names, the most common being "The Library Company of the Borough of Northampton." (Until 1838, Northampton was Allentown's official name.) How many members the early library had and how many volumes it contained also is uncertain. The earliest known book for the library had been purchased on December 20th, 1812.

During the post Civil War era, many women got involved a variety of social clubs and charitable causes. The strongest supporter of the library movement in Allentown was Mary Lewis, wife of Samuel B. Lewis, one of the city's leading iron makers. Their son, Fred Lewis, grew up to serve three terms as the city's mayor. As a strong believer in education for men and women. Mary Lewis made the library her cause. But like other Allentown library ventures, the Academy faded as Warner's taxidermy business took a nose dive in the depression that followed the Panic of 1873. The group disbanded, its library turned over to the Odd Fellows fraternal order, whose headquarters was in the first Breinig and Bachman building at the southeast corner of 6th and Hamilton streets. The books were still there on Oct. 13, 1893, when one of the worst fires in the city's history burned them to ashes. The only books known to survive were two books checked out to Mary Lewis.

It was the Allentown Chamber of Commerce that put the library's fundraising efforts over the top. Caught up in the spirit of the 100th anniversary celebration of Lehigh County in 1912. The chamber promised to establish a permanant library at 920 Hamilton Street.

On the night of Nov. 25, 1912, a large crowd flocked to the library. Dr. George T. Ettinger, president of the Allentown Public Library Association, began the library with the two books which had been signed out of the library during the 1893 fire, as well as the 1866 charter of the Fratres Literarium. One hundred and two years after it all began in 1810, Allentown finally had a public library.

In December 1972, the Asbury United Methodist Church at 12th and Hamilton Street suffered a devastating fire and was destroyed. The church members elected to move to a new location off Walbert Avenue in South Whitehall Township. After negotiations and financial assistance, the site of the destroyed church was purchased by the City of Allentown for a new library. Groundbreaking was held for the new building in February 1977 for a $3.6 million dollar structure. The contents of the library was moved into the new building during early July 1978, and the current Allentown Library opened to the public on 19 July 1978.