Category:Cedar Crest College

Cedar Crest College 

women's college in Pennsylvania
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Instance of	school private not-for-profit educational institution
Industry	higher education
Location	Pennsylvania
Street address	100 College Drive, Allentown, PA, 18104-6196
Inception	1867
official website
40° 35′ 13.2″ N, 75° 31′ 08.4″ W
Authority file  Q5056666 ISNI: 0000000403686087 VIAF ID: 153684185 Library of Congress authority ID: n85812276 OpenStreetMap node ID: 357279993 Reasonator Scholia Wikidocumentaries PetScan statistics WikiMap Locator tool KML file WikiShootMe OpenStreetMap Search depicted

The building was first constructed by Attorney Robert E. Wright, who named it Clover Nook, Wright's summer home that had been built in the 1850s. Parts of that earlier building were incorporated into the college. In 1867, it was donated to the Allentown Female College, and was occupied in 1868 as Allentown's first institution of higher education for women under the direction of the Reformed Church, now the United Church of Christ. In 1869, it was enlarged with three stories being added to the original structure. In addition, a 58x40 second addition was constructed. A continuous porch of over 300 feet in length was constructed around the entire building.

Wright, who had a number of daughters, felt strongly that young women in the city should have an education. The school's first classes were held in the basement of Zion's Reformed Church, but its first permanent quarters opened Nov. 3, 1869, at Fourth and Turner streets. In 1884, another wing was added. From 1869 to 1913 it was the college's main building. In 1893, the school received a new charter and was renamed the Allentown College for Women (ACW). It was operating under that name at the same location in 1908 when the Rev. Charles Curtis took over as president.

In 1913, Cedar Crest College moved to far west Allentown and became known as Cedar Crest College after the new location was dedicated on June 4th, 1913.

After the college moved out, the building was vacant for several years. In May 1917, the building on 4th street was purchased and remodeled as a hotel, being renamed as the "College Hotel". It had 65 rooms, with running hot and cold water in each room. It was also equipped with separate room telephones. Guests in its heyday in the 1920s were stage and screen star Al Jolson and a young military pilot, Curtis LeMay, who later became a general.

On 26 January 1939, a fire broke out in a chimney and severely damaged the upper floors, which had to be demolished. In the years after, the hotel began go go to seed, and slowly deteriorated. By June 1964, the hotel had become a long-term low-rent residential home for about 40 residents. Its condition had seriously deteriorated to the point that the City of Allentown ordered the property vacated and closed. It was subsequently condemned on 18 July. was ordered closed and the property condemned as unsafe.

The hotel was raised in October/November 1964. Plans to build a large apartment complex never materialized and today the property consists as a parking lot.