Some Views of Historic Hellertown, Northampton County

Hellertown is a place with lots of well preserved history. The downtown area has a number of charming buildings and bridges that date back to the 18th and 19th century.

The following buildings are a part of the Hellertown Historical Society

The Miller House dates back to the 1880s

The Heller-Wagner Grist Mill is older than the United States itself, dating back to 1761. 

The Wash House dates back to the 1700s. It is a lovely and charming property and it houses a museum and a functional original mill. Just a few hundred feet away is Saucon Creek, which is a tremendous trout fishery. If you are into trout fishing,  the creek in this section is excellent for trout. There is no real need to seek out fishing holes in this creek, because most of the entire length of the creek is a huge fishing hole. 

Across the street from the historical society is the 1860 Walnut Street Bridge/Pony Bridge. This is one of the only bridges that is fully cast and wrought iron, including the deck plates. It has been meticulously cared for by the historical society, and through the engineering department at nearby Lehigh University.  This Pratt Through Truss Bridge is 55 feet long and is one of the only remaining bridges from the Beckel Iron Foundry and Machine Shop, in neighboring Bethlehem. 

Be sure to check out another remaining Beckel Bridge, the Old Mill Road Bridge in neighboring Bingen, along the Saucon Rail Trail. 

Just upstream is the The Meadows Bridge in Hellertown. This stone arch bridge is in a bucolic setting, so much so that it shows up in 19th and early 20th century impressionist paintings, and has crossed the Saucon Creek since 1858. Due to structural problems, the bridge has been closed to traffic and is slated for replacement. It would really be a shame for this bridge to be demolished, but this historic Lower Saucon Township bridge looks like it is headed out. Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, please opt to repair this stone arch bridge and promote its potential as a tourism draw to the region. Read this article for more information about the plight of the bridge.