Martin Tower
Encyclopedia
The Martin Tower is the tallest building in Bethlehem
, Pennsylvania
and the greater Lehigh Valley
. The building has 21 stories and is 330 feet (100.6 m) tall, 8 feet taller than the PPL Building
in Allentown
. The building is located on Eighth Avenue in Bethlehem
, just north of the interchange with Pennsylvania Route 378
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 28, 2010.
built Martin Tower as a new headquarters for the company. The building was constructed in the shape of a cross rather than a more conventional square in order to create more corner and window offices. The original offices were designed by decorators from New York and included wooden furniture, doorknobs with the company logo, and handwoven carpets. The building was a testament to the economic heights the Lehigh Valley reached in the 1970s before the large economic turndown caused by the decline of the steel industry.
The architect for Martin Tower was Haines Lundberg Waehler.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and the greater Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
. The building has 21 stories and is 330 feet (100.6 m) tall, 8 feet taller than the PPL Building
PPL (utility)
PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to...
in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. The building is located on Eighth Avenue in Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, just north of the interchange with Pennsylvania Route 378
Pennsylvania Route 378
Pennsylvania Route 378 is a north-to-south road in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 22 in Bethlehem and the portion north of the Lehigh River is a freeway. The highway was once Interstate 378 but when Interstate 78 was rerouted from U.S...
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 28, 2010.
History
In 1972, Bethlehem SteelBethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
built Martin Tower as a new headquarters for the company. The building was constructed in the shape of a cross rather than a more conventional square in order to create more corner and window offices. The original offices were designed by decorators from New York and included wooden furniture, doorknobs with the company logo, and handwoven carpets. The building was a testament to the economic heights the Lehigh Valley reached in the 1970s before the large economic turndown caused by the decline of the steel industry.
The architect for Martin Tower was Haines Lundberg Waehler.
History
Started in 1969, the building's bad luck reflected the declining strength of the Bethlehem Steel Company. The framework was completed in a short time, but there were insufficient funds to complete the elaborate building and the skeleton of the Martin Tower dominated the western horizon of Bethlehem for 2 years before work was resumed.Today
Currently, the entire building is vacant. There have been plans to create condominiums inside the tower, along with recreational and retail space on the property.External links
- Martin Tower page at emporis.com