Allentown, N.J. its Rise and Progress (Part 49) Continuing Charles R. Hutchinson's 1914 recollection of houses, and their former occupants, along N. Main St., circa 1830—note revised site of Brick Tavern, named Queen's Tavern on British revolutionary war map. Advertisement On the northerly corner of Main and Church Streets, where Howard D. Bunting's store now is [2 N. Main], was the residence of Colonel David Hay, and his hatters shop was on the adjoining lot, now occupied by Amos A. Bunting dwelling [4 N. Main]. Daniel W. Bills built the present dwelling on the latter site and a building, which he occupied as a general store on the corner until his death in 1856, was the leading store in the village. He was succeeded by Coward & Vannaman, (Charles G. Coward and Charles P. Vannaman), and in 1858 by Charles P. Vannaman alone. Later, Theodore Stagg was there for a time, and then it became a drug store, first kept by Aaron R. Davis, who died in 1872 and was succeeded in the same business by Doctor James Holmes, who also died, and in 1875 the building was torn down David M. Bunting, who erected the present one on its site. The house in which Mrs. Hannah E. Wikoff now lives was occupied in 1830 by Elizabeth Mount, widow. Afterwards, Isaac Imlay lived there, then two maiden aunts of Daniel W. Bills: Jane Bills, who became the second wife of John H. Rulon, Esq. and Susan Bills, who married Joseph Vennable, at that time a tailor in the employ of D.W. Bills, and who afterward occupied these premises and carried on a tailoring business in a westerly addition (removed in 1911) in which he was succeeded by Samuel C. Davis who died there, and whose widow continued to live there until her death in 1905. [In 1930 butcher Joseph P. Nolan had Charles D. Knowles move this house—enlarged in 1904 to accommodate the Post Office—to 30 Church and build a new brick home at 6 N. Main Where Holmes Hankins now lives was the residence of George Sinclair, and later his cabinet makers shop stood there, west of his dwelling. This shop is now a stable on Mrs. Wikoff's lot, adjoining, and the dwelling that is that now of Louisa Buckelew, on the southerly side of upper Main Street. These buildings were removed about 1864, when the present house [Borough Hall at 8 N. Main] was erected by three sisters: Mrs. Margaret Buckley, Mrs. Mary Leavenworth and Miss Susan Debow, daughters of John and Sarah (Montgomery) Debow [built by Elias and Benjamin Rogers]. I do not know at what date Richard M. Stout built the house [12 N. Main] in which Mrs. Catharine I. Tilton now lives. He died there about 1860, [but] had been there many years, and his family remained for some years afterward. Then came Daniel Tilton [18 N. Main], and his son, Charles M. Tilton whose widow is the present occupant. This property comprises Lots No.3 & 4 of Samuel Quay's lands, and not Nos.2 & 3, as I have erroneously stated [in Part 47]. Lot No.2 was that were Emlen Satterthwait recently lived [formerly 24 N. Main], now owned by Daniel J. Wright, and the westerly line of the Brick Tavern lot was between it and that on which the Catholic Parsonage and Church now are [The Bank at 20-22 N. Main]. The Catholic Parsonage was built, perhaps about 1850, by John H. Rulon Esq. who lived there a number of years. Previous to that there was an iron foundry there, operated by George Dolan & Sons, which existed for several years, the machinery being operated by the old fashioned horse power sweep. The present residence of Howard D. Bunting was at that time a part of the same premises. There were no houses between that and the Brick Tavern (where George S. Hankins now lives) [32 N. Main], which according to the late Samuel W. Fidler, was still standing in 1830, and was then kept by William Butcher [I mistakenly sited DiMattia's as the Brick Tavern in Part 45, where Perseverance Fire Co. was formed]. There was nothing between that and Asher Borden's farmhouse, now J. Holmes Probasco's [76 N. Main]. On the southerly side of the road, nearly opposite the last named house and just east of that in which Dennis M. Jones now lives [81 N. Main] was the residence of Ephraim Robbins, now gone. A small house stood about midway between it and the old "Hip Roofed House," which was on a lot now vacant, east of and adjoining the present residence of Sarah A. Hendrickson [55 N. Main]. The small house about mentioned was occupied in 1830 by Samuel Skirm and the hip roofed house by a family named Clayton. West of this, where Harvey R. Bergen now lives, was the dwelling and wheelwright shop of John Vanhorn, and then came the wheelwright shop of John Chamberlin, where is now the dwelling of William C. Smith. Adjoining this, westerly, was the house of Samuel Mount, shoemaker, afterwards occupied by his son, John S. Mount, also a shoemaker, and now owned by Charles A. Davis. Then came residence of William Foster, blacksmith and local preacher, where Mrs. Frances A. Tantum now lives [21-23 N. Main], and his blacksmith shop stood where his son in law, Isaac Rogers afterward built one of brick, now succeeded by a double frame dwelling owned by Mrs. T. Ridgway Waln. Next to this stood the present small house belonging now to David M. Bunting's estate, and another where Patrick Riehill afterwards built the present dwelling belonging to Sarah Mack [13 N. Main, site of St. John's Catholic Church's first service], then, where the [Farmers National] Bank now is, a house in which the Vanarsdale family lived and on the corner George Sinclair's cabinet makers shop, in which my father, in 1830, completed his apprenticeship and the late Samuel W. Fidler began his at that time. On the southerly corner of Imlaystown Road was a red building, a part of which was occupied by J. Lawrence Hendrickson as a tailor shop. I think the present building, now owned by James H. Graham, was built by John Robbins, who afterwards kept a general store there for many years. East of this, on the same lot, was the dwelling of Esek Robbins, the father of John, and east of that his cooper's shop. Next was a small one story house where Stephen Bergen's stables and ice house now are, which was the last house standing on that side of the road. On the northerly side, the house [12 Waker] where Horatio Gulick now lives was owned and occupied by Joseph Waker, senior, who carried on the business of a butcher for many years. The house near the little brook at the borough line [24 Waker], which James H. Graham lately sold to William Applegate, and which was once occupied by Henry Hughes, son of John, was occupied in 1830 by Charles Britton, shoemaker. Afterwards, John Eagan, who was George Middleton's [tannery] foreman, lived there many years, and perhaps as late as 1860. The house where Henry Rock now lives, at the head of the alley [Maiden Lane], had belonged to the estate of John Hughes, who died in 1820; I do not know who lived there in 1830. In the rear of this house, on the little brook above mentioned, was a cider press, and between it and the present dwelling of George Rock was a small house in which lived Nelly Dillon, an old negro woman. Historically Speaking is a regular column presented by John Fabiano, MA, designated historian for Allentown Borough. ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour