Hamilton Street is a major thoroughfare and historic street in the Center City section of Allentown, Pennsylvania. The street dates back to 1762, when Allentown's founder, William Allen, included it as one of the first of several streets to be constructed in the city.[1]
Hamilton Street begins at the end of Hanover Avenue just east of the Lehigh RiverinAllentown's east-side, then crosses the Lehigh River, and proceeds through Center City Allentown, where it becomes PA Route 222 past 13th Street in Allentown's west-side.
Hamilton Street was one of the first streets developed in the 18th century by William Allen, a shipping merchant and former mayor of Philadelphia. On September 10, 1735, Allen acquired 5,000-acre (20 km2) that includes present-day Center City Allentown, from Joseph Turner, an iron manufacturer and also a former mayor of Philadelphia.
In September 2014, a major development project was completed on Hamilton Street, which included the construction and opening of PPL Center, an 8,500 indoor arena that serves as the home arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, an American Hockey League team and the primary development hockey team for the Philadelphia Flyers. The arena also hosts major concerts, sports, and entertainment events throughout the year.[4]
The City of Allentown holds its annual "Classics & Cruisers" event on Hamilton Street, which features classic cars from the 1970s and 1980s.[5]
Americus Hotel, a historic 13-story hotel, built between 1926 and 1927, is located at 541 Hamilton Street.
Farr Building, a historic retail and residential building built on the grounds of a former hospital for wounded Continental Army troops during the Revolutionary War, is located at 739 Hamilton Street.
PPL Building, a 23-story headquarters of PPL Corporation, is the tallest building in Allentown and the greater Lehigh Valley metropolitan area at 98.02 m (321.6 ft) in height, i located at 2 N. 9th Street, at the corner of 9th and Hamilton Streets.
Trout Hall, a Georgian-style home, one of Allentown's oldest still-standing structures, built between 1768 and 1770, is the current location of the Lehigh County Historical Society's library and museum.