Barbarians Sack Allentown

As Mayor Pawlowski stood last week across Hamilton Street from the former buildings, now reduced to rubble, I thought of the barbarians sacking Rome. The Knerr Building, constructed in 1892 at 707 Hamilton Street, had withstood many changes in the last 120 years. Built for John Knerr to sell groceries and confections, it's four floors served various businesses over the century. Although this past New Year's eve, the Mayor spoke of Allentown's 250th anniversary, it's a history for which he has limited knowledge and less appreciation. As a student of Allentown's architecture and past, I was offended to hear him and the other mayors boast about the 40 temporary demolition jobs. The wrecking contractor was astute enough to remove the monumental and historic Knerr facade ornamentation, before knocking the building down. He will sell it in some other city, where history is respected and valued.

photo of mayors/The Morning Call/Donna Fisher

photo of facade from former Knerr Building/ molovinsky

reprinted from February of 2012

ADDENDUM: The above post is reprinted from 2012. Although I accept the arena and NIZ as the new reality, there are uninformed progressives who believe  the demolition of that square block of Allentown was of no consequence. I know better; We lost some significant architecture and much history. One must wonder if the new structures will last 120 years.

Treasures Lost On Hamilton Street

                                                   click photograph to enlarge

The merchants who built Hamilton Street counted on architecture to attract shoppers into their emporiums. Large neon signs wouldn't appear for another fifty years. The soffit and fascia shown above, halfway between 7th and 8th on Hamilton, is one of the most elaborate facades in Allentown. One thing you can say about Allentown City Hall, they never let culture, art, or history get into the way of their plans. As successful cities come to value and profit from their history more and more, Allentown keeps using the standard catalog of proven failures. I know from other projects on Hamilton Street that Pawlowski isn't big on history. The Cityline Building in the 800 Block was permitted to stucco over beautiful brickwork. Sad that the puppies, who are directors at the Art Museum and Historical Society, remain silent on the planned destruction. It's hard to describe the magnificence of the skylight shown below, also in the targeted block. It's very large in three sections, in pristine condition. Should be quite a snack for Pawlowski's bulldozer.
The bulldozer prevailed, and the former architectural treasures of our mercantile history were not preserved, save for this blog's archives. Above is reprinted from May 2011

ADDENDUM:   This past weekend, a member of Old Allentown Preservation Association, and an active local Democrat, bragged on facebook about how he had recycled an old second floor office door from the demolished buildings in the arena zone. In truth, Old Allentown also turned a self serving, callous eye to the destruction noted in the above post. Although I'm glad the door was recycled, allow this post to note the irony and hypocrisy of the Association.

reprinted from January of 2015


UPDATE NOVEMBER 16, 2017: Although there's always some group bestowing some award on any new development, the Allentown NIZ is certainly no architectural destination.  Although I've taken hundreds of photographs in Allentown, including the ones shown here,  I have yet to buy film for any new building in the NIZ.

An American Prism

American women are rightly beaming from this past election. We have seen dozens of pictures of the new congresswomen together, including Susan Wild, from our new 7th District.

We, as Americans, all have our own prisms.  The prisms, among other variables, are gender, race and ethnicity. Americans of Jewish and Arab backgrounds will see the middle east through different prisms. .

Among the new women in congress is Rashida Tlaib, from Detroit, Michigan. Tlaib has received national publicity for her statement about impeaching Donald Trump.  That statement doesn't faze me... it is a sentiment shared by many women, and men. Ms. Tlaib believes in a one state solution for Palestine... That means no Israel.  That statement does bother me, greatly.

It is my hope that Ms. Wild, in her enthusiasm for the blue women's wave,  realizes that Israel should be an issue which sharply separates her from the Michigan representative.  Rashida Tlaib is of Palestinian descent, and her focused support for a Palestinian state, alongside of Israel, would be fully understood.  However, I hope that Susan Wild appreciates that an advocate for Israel's dismantling can be no partner.

Closing The Monument Building

One morning in early July of 2008, code enforcement descended upon the Monument Building like a swat team. Every officer, in every department in the city entered the building at the same time, and spread out looking for every possible violation. Under the previous owner, the same conditions, with the same tenants, were lauded as a rebirth. Whatever motivated Pawlowski to pull the plug on the new owner, the tenants were lightweights, of no consequence. At that time myself and few other malcontents, like Lou Hershman, would gather very early in the morning for coffee at Jerry's Cafe, located on the first floor. The building had begun its life as the 1st National Bank. After being closed for many years, it reopened as Corporate Center. The new buyer renamed it Monument Building. 

645 Hamilton Street was torn down, to be replaced by J.B. Reilly's Two City Center. Let me tell you the story of the little people, who were disposed of along the way.

The previous April,  Pawlowski wrote "I want to thank Valley Latino TV Show and Magazine for keeping the Latino community informed. Your dedicated effort shows commitment..congratulations... I wish you great success!" Along with the magazine and television studio, a graphic art designer, a festival promoter, and a security company were displaced.  The Morning Call, reporting on the violation report from the City of Allentown, described the building as unsafe. It was the same building, with the same tenants, in the same condition, as before. Unlike the city inspectors, or the paper's reporter, I was there every day for coffee at Jerry's Cafe. Jerry's was not one of the upstart businesses blessed with a grant. He had to pay for everything, and everything had to be inspected, inside out. His plans had to be approved, his electric and plumbing had to be approved, his grill and hood system had to be approved. City inspectors in and out of the building during this process included no less than plumbing, electrical and health. Although violation report issued to the building after the raid listed extension cords, it failed to note that those cords were attached to a movable lighting grid for the Latino Television production studio, and were cords by design. Although the city citation report cited unlicensed businesses, it omitted the fact that the lower level was occupied by Sassi, which performs drug testing for the Lehigh County, and the city's action caused Melendez Reality and Madison Mortgage, among others,  to vacate.

I don't know if Pawlowski will teach government in prison, but Molovinsky University will teach how Pawlowski abused Allentown.

photocredit:molovinsky

Let It Go About Pawlowski

Yesterday, two people on the opposite end of the political spectrum both wrote,"Let it go" in regard to the news that Pawlowski wants to teach a class on government in prison. Both people, for their own different reasons, wants to move on pass Pawlowski. The reason I don't let it go, isn't because of the charges for which he was convicted. Those charges will be even scrutinized more by his appeal.

What concerns me about Pawlowski is all the things which were not part of the trial. I'm referring to the political bullying that he employed on regular basis. I'm referring to the unnecessary positions he created, the ordinances passed, and the purchases made. I believe that there were a substantial number of people who breathed a huge sigh of relief that their inaction with Pawlowski was not included in the trial.

Although, I have no intention of turning my contention into an obsession, I do push back when people say, let it go. He is still very much part of Allentown government, and to pretend otherwise, is a  mistake.   Pawlowski shouldn't be teaching a course,  but there should be a course about him.*

*There actually is, and you're taking here,  online.

Prison Professor Pawlowski

WFMZ reported on Lisa Pawlowski's tweet, that Ed Pawlowski has drawn up a curriculum to teach a class on Understanding Government, at his prison in Danbury, Conn.  My first reaction to the story was to wonder if it would deal with understanding what is honest government, rather than shaking down contractors for campaign contributions?  Putting aside those obvious wisecracks, the next question is why would WFMZ report on Lisa's proclamations? She is the woman who proclaimed his innocence, even as they took him away in handcuffs.  I suppose that she might proclaim his innocence so adamantly, because she was so involved with his governing.

I doubt that the prison system will approve such a stunt by a convicted elected official. While the Morning Call is never shy about adopting a story,  they seemed to pass on this piece of public relations by Lisa.

photocredit:WFMZ
ADDENDUM: The Morning Call did pick up this story after all, this morning at 6:00am, two hours after it appeared here. (and a day after WFMZ)
UPDATE 10:19AM:  The Morning Call has withdrawn the story.

McHistory In The Lehigh Valley

Readers of this blog know that I'm upset about what little value history is given in this community.  Yesterday's Morning Call story on the Lehigh Valley Trust Bank building goes a step farther, and significantly alters the story of an important structure.  After reading the Morning Call article, one would think that the bank closed,  Abe Atiyeh purchased it and then sold it to the Jaindls,  who are now opening an event center after restoration.  The real story is so different,  I can only conclude that this current article was only meant as another NIZ promotion, not a serious background of the building.

When the building was purchased by Seigfried Braun, unmentioned in the article,  it had been modernized.  He and his family spend years and most of their assets lovingly restoring it.  The famed skylight and other adornments were covered over decades earlier, by a massive new lowered ceiling.  What you see now is the fruit of his labor. Restoring the skylight alone took over a year.  In addition to that bank,  he also purchased the Dime Bank and the Elks Club.  The Dime Bank has now been incorporated into the new Renaissance Hotel.  The Elks Club was demolished to make way for J.B. Reilly's aborted massive Two Towers project.

Unfortunately, illness forced Mr. Braun to quickly sell these significant structures for pennies on the dollar, to Abe Atiyeh.  We should thank Braun for saving these magnificent structures.  Although, I like to think that my local political opinions have merit,  my better calling is to defend and advocate for local historical structures, when I have the needed endurance.  Meanwhile, I use this blog to present local history, and occasionally point out misconceptions about it.

reprinted from January 7, 2017

molovinsky on allentown is published early morning every weekday.

The Sign Of Hypocrisy

Very early this morning I was amused by the article in The Morning Call speaking of something new coming to downtown Allentown, a electronic billboard. I thought I had put the soon to be demolished Monument Building to rest, but now it features in yet another story of Allentown's double standards. Before the Mayor forced the owner to lock the doors, he had installed the exact type of new billboard coming to Allentown. I apparently was not the only one shaking my head over this story. Before 7:00AM I received the following comment.

  In regards to the future digital billboards: The sad part is that a business man had this same idea and placed a beautiful sign on the side of the 645 Hamilton Street building only to have ut turned off due to City politics.. Everything that is being thought of as new and innovative was proposed and DONE by individuals 6-10 years ago who took it "upon themselves" to make Allentown a better City. Unfortunately, we received no support so many have left or became apathetic... SMH Alfonso Todd

There is actually a proud tradition of signs in center square.  For many years during the golden era a large illuminated Neuweiler Beer sign stood atop the Whelan Drugstore, on the northwest corner.  Back to the hapless Monument owner and his innovative sign.  The sign was up for a number of months and being tolerated by the city, until one faithful day.  As a favor to the coffee shop owner,  the sign company programmed an ad for Lou Hershman running for office, just as Mayor Pawlowski was walking down the street.  The Mayor blew his fuse, and the sign shortly thereafter, when the city threw every sign law on the book at the owner.

 The billboard is actually still mounted to the building, as a testament to this hypocrisy.   Is it the same billboard firm now hired by the city to place billboards on certain streets, including N. 7th?

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from August of 2012 

ADDENDUM JANUARY 1, 2019: I'm reprinting this post about the electronic billboard to address a Pawlowski myth. His supporters think that his only misdeed was innocently mixing together some contribution campaigning with some city contracts. In reality, since his first term, he abused his power as mayor. Although the Morning Call never reported these abuses, I was there, and knew some of the victims.