Northampton County Museum
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Bordered by an exquisite cast iron grapevine fence, gracing the southwest corner of Ferry and Fourth is the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society. The structure was built in 1833 by Jacob Mixsell, and donated to the society in 1928 by his granddaughters. The building contains an outstanding and vast array of items from Pennsylvania's past including rich local history, with volumes on genealogy, maps, deeds, newspapers, and primitive 18th & 19th century paintings of local scenes and citizens.
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Northampton Street Bridge
The Northampton Street Bridge provides access between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Celebrating its 100th birthday in 1996, the "free bridge" (there is no toll to cross), with its Gothic detail, is the last of its type in the United States and is a National Civil Engineering landmark.
A replica of the "free bridge," created by Phillipsburg, NJ high school students, and engineered to scale using the original blueprints, is on permanent display in Easton's Visitor Center in Two Rivers Landing, located at 30 Centre Square.
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Our Lady of Lebanon
The urban renewal programs of the 1960's removed houses, many businesses, and the first church building of the Lebanese community. Despite the effects of urban renewal, the resilient Lebanese community remained strong and cohesive. Its members moved their place of worship, Our Lady of Lebanon Church, to Fourth and Ferry Streets.
The Easton Lebanese community's first families immigrated to New York and then on to Easton to establish dry goods and notions businesses.
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Parson Taylor House
Built for William Parsons in 1757, The Parson Taylor House is a small stone colonial building. It was later inhabited by George Taylor, signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1906 the Easton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution purchased and restored this historical landmark. The adjacent Kressler Garden is maintained by the Forks of The Delaware Garden Club.
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Post Office
The United States Congress established the postal system February 20, 1792, when it was signed into effect by George Washington. The first postal route to include Easton dates even earlier, however, back to August 1775.
The first Easton Post Office was established March 20, 1793. The location was moved by almost every postmaster until the construction of the present building, located on the corner of South Second and Ferry Streets, in 1910. An addition was dedicated on April 20, 1937, bringing it to its current size.
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St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church
St. Bernard's Church, founded in 1829 with 100 members, is the oldest Catholic Church in the Lehigh Valley. Members first met at 151 South Fifth Street until the dedication of the church and adjoining cemetery on Gallows Hill in 1836. In 1909, the increase in Italian speaking families brought about the organization of the National Parish, St. Anthony's.
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State Theatre
First a bank, then the Neumoyer Theatre, the now State Theatre has a rich and wonderful history, and today represents the community's commitment to the arts. The State Theatre was built in 1873 as Northampton National Bank. The massive and elaborate granite beaux art facade was a style used often for commercial and public buildings because of the feeling of confidence and dependability that particular architecture exuded. In 1910, the interior was demolished, but the facade and entrance way were maintained. The building then housed the 500 seat Neumoyer Theatre, home to vaudeville acts and silent films. In 1925 the theatre closed to make way for a new larger theatre designed by Architect William Lee of Philadelphia, and inspired by the Davanzanti Palace of Florence, Italy. The original State Theatre was completed at a cost of $400,000.
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Today the 1,545 seat State Theatre hosts more than 100 live performances year round, and it was selected in 1994 as the host theatre for the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Contests.
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Trinity Episcopal Church
Episcopalian church services were held in congregants' homes until 1798, when Samual Sitgreaves donated the land for the construction of a church on this site at Spring Garden and Sitgreaves Streets. The existing building, built in 1874 and consecrated in 1876, replaced the original church which was destroyed by fire. Designed by William Haight in 1874, Trinity's Stone Gothic Revival architectural is graced with a battlemented bell tower, rose window, and other stained glass by Nicholas D'Ascenzo of Philadelphia. The floor is Mercer tile from the Moravian Tile works in Doylestown. The small cemetery includes the burial site of Sitgreaves who was not only civic leader in the Easton community, but a congressman and diplomat of the young nation.
Note: The current church is the 3rd church on that site. The 1st was torn down and the 2nd was destroyed by fire. Also, Samuel Sitgreaves, the founder of Trinity is no longer buried in the churchyard - he was moved to Easton Cemetery.
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