High German Evangelical Reformed Church

High German Evangelical Reformed Church, also known as Zion Reformed and Zion United Church of Christ, is a historic Evangelical and Reformed church at 620 Hamilton Street in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

High German Evangelical Reformed Church
Zion United Church of Christ, October 2011
Location620 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Area0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built1762
ArchitectJacoby, Lewis
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.83002259[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 28, 1983

A log structure was built on the site in 1762. A simple brick church, said to be in the vernacular Federal style, was built a few yards north of the log church in 1773. In 1777, while the British occupied Philadelphia, this church was used to hide the Liberty Bell as well as the chimes from Philadelphia's Christ Church. This clandestine act of patriotism prevented the British from melting down these treasures for use as ammunition.[2] In 1838 the church was enlarged and may have incorporated the 1762 structure into the building, inside the walls of the current boiler room. The building was doubled in size in from 1886 to 1888 in the Gothic Revival style, to the designs of architect Lewis Jacoby.[3]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1] The Liberty Bell Museum, a local attraction commemorating the hiding of the Liberty Bell, is located inside the church.

See also
  • Historical and Notable Sites in Allentown, Pennsylvania

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Bloom, Ken; Wolbers, Marian (1984). Allentown A Pictorial History (Special ed.). Norfolk, VA: The Donning Company/Publishers. pp. 18–19.
  3. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Theodore J. Mabus (June 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: The High German Evangelical Reformed Church" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-04.

Media related to Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ, Allentown, Pennsylvania at Wikimedia Commons


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.