Category:L H Yeager

Lesher H. Yeager was born in East Texas in 1851. In 1875 he opened a china and glassware shop with James M. Culbertson at 20 North Seventh Street, on the northwest corner of Center Square. It was originally named Yeager & Culbertson until 1881 when Culbertson retired and it was changed to L H Yeager and Company.

Along with locally made products, he imported fine English Bone China and as the business prospered, made several business trips to England each year for buying merchandise for sale in his Allentown store. He also imported porcelain and china from France and Germany. He died suddenly on 5 March 1915, his business being taken over by his son, Charles H Yeager, who had joined the firm in 1911.

In 1926 the business ws moved across the street to 21 North 7th into a larger building. The business was closed in 1938 with Charles Yeager's retirement and the property was vacant for several years. The building was purchased by Somachs in 1941 which operated a women's clothing store. It closed in 1986, the building being purchased by investors. In 1993, the building was torn down as uneconomical to sell and repair. Today the land is now part of the NIZ Arts Walk pedestrian section of Court Street.

The original Yeager building at 20 North Seventh became Leon's Furniture with its purchase from Yeager. It burned down in a general alarm fire in February 1969, becoming a vacant lot. It remained undeveloped until being incorporated into the NIZ Marriott Renaissance Hotel in 2011 as part of the NIZ redevelopment in Center City Allentown.