Bethlehem Pennsylvania and its Historic Districts

Bethlehem was named on Christmas Eve, 1741, by a group of Moravians who relocated from North Carolina and settled at the confluence of the Lehigh River and Monocacy Creek. The canal and the railroads lured large-scale industry to the south bank of the Lehigh River and the Bethlehem Iron Co., soon dominated the town’s economy and way of life. Steel made from local iron, coal and limestone was milled and forged, launching the Industrial Revolution of the late 19^th Century.

Bethlehem is the Lehigh Valley’s Oldest City

Bethlehem has six distinct National Historic Districts as well as two National Historic landmarks. Many of its original structures built by early settlers still line downtown streets.

The Central Bethlehem Historic District includes 165 buildings, 6 sites, 9 structures, and 4 objects. It is primarily residential, but also includes commercial buildings along Main Street. Most of the buildings were built between the mid-18^th to early-20^th century. The district encompasses building that reflect Bethlehem's development from a Moravian community, 1741-1844, to an industrial based economy, 1845-1938.

The Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District encompasses a complex of the oldest surviving buildings in Bethlehem. The district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012 for its unique assemblage of communal religious buildings and history. It occupies a 14.7-acre (5.9 ha) area of central Bethlehem; at its core is the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem and adjacent properties, located at Main and West Church Streets. The museum property includes a connected series of 18^th century stone buildings, several of which served as communal living facilities, and a 1751 chapel.

The museum also owns properties near the creek, including the industrial 1761 tannery building, and the Old Waterworks which is also a National Historic Landmark as the first pump-driven North American municipal water supply. This area is also archaeologically significant, as the early Moravians developed it industrially from an early period. 

God's Acre has been established as one of the oldest colonial cemeteries in America

Sun Inn was created as a place for non-Moravian people to take up residence while they did any sort of business with the people that lived in the town. The Sun Inn was used often during the American Revolution, including George and Martha Washington, Ben Franklin, John Hancock, john and Samuel Adams.

 

Locally Managed Travel Services

in small-town main streets and historic districts

Turnkey personalized travel services in the USA for families, extended families, theme groups and business travelers that focus on: historical tourism, environment friendly destinations and vacations, architectural and study tours, food wine and brew itineraries, professional enrichment, training and wellness programs.

Local Tourism Initiatives

Business and Vacation Trip Logistics Anchor Locations Hub and Spoke Travel Destinations

Issue many travelers think they can develop and implement their trip plans via online booking. In our experience, personalized travel services, planning as well as management, provide cost savings and numerous other advantages.

Objective a collaborative effort to develop local capabilities in destination management, tourism services and environment related projects that focus on water resources, transportation and energy efficiency across the United States.

Tourism Projects Generate Resources for Environmental Activities

Solution develop local area businesses capable of managing incoming travel services that benefit from a centralized marketing and sales program. Resources generated from inbound travel transactions are made available to the regions, towns, and neighborhoods visited to help pay for the start-up of a new local entity tasked with the longer-term marketing and management of tourism and environment related services in the community.

Travel Projects that Draw on Local History Traditions and Talents

Cultural Anchors Museums, Theaters and other Historic Buildings located on Main Street and in Historic Districts are repositories of a community’s values and traditions. Each Local Project integrates architecture with digital media and engages visitors through interaction with local citizens. Water resources and energy efficiency projects are also community attractors as domestic and international business and government visitors will come to study, learn and acquire knowledge and expertise in these fields.

Travel Themes that Bring out the Best in a Community

Travel Programs that emphasize: locally managed services, an established presence in and knowledge of your destinations, superior client service in the planning stages and throughout your trip, logistics expertise to reduce travel costs, transport and transfer times. 

Experienced Local Operators provide the highest quality destination management services, Tourism assumes uniquely local dimensions wherever you go; the activities that you select irrespective of the length of your stay, are unique of the community and rooted into the local culture and traditions.

 

Arezza - Volt Logistics

 Innovative Energy Savings Solutions for Small Towns and Businesses

Volt Logistics specializes in properties typically found on main street and historic districts, with a focus on energy savings and building automation systems.

Property Types range from hotel, vacation and other short-term accommodations, retail, and office buildings as well as museums and entertainment venues located in historic districts and main streets of towns and suburban areas.

Innovative Solutions for Business and Commercial Districts in Historic Towns and Neighborhoods

Small and Medium-sized Commercial Buildings account for 95 percent of building stock and consume half the energy in a sector of the economy responsible for 20 percent of the total energy consumption. Owners of smaller buildings are often unaware of the amount of energy wasted and the opportunity for savings that building automation systems provide.

Building Leases define how energy costs are divided between tenants and owners. Often, these leases are not structured in a way that promotes energy savings. Tenants have no incentive to save energy in their leased premises because energy costs are based on tenant square footage. Building owners have no incentive to invest in energy efficiency because the operating expenses are passed onto tenants.

Green Leases promote energy efficiency by creating lease structures which equitably align the costs and benefits of efficiency investments between building owners and tenants.

Energy Management Systems are utilized to centrally control devices like HVAC units and lighting systems across multiple locations. EMS also provide metering, sub-metering and monitoring functions that allow facility managers to gather data and insight to make more informed decisions about energy activities across their sites.

Distributed Generation occurs on a property site when energy is sold to the building occupants; here, commercial PPAs enable businesses and governments to purchase electricity directly from the generator rather than from the utility. Power Purchase Agreements PPA are a legal contract between an electricity generator and a power purchaser.

Revenue Sharing of the Energy Savings among Properties, Tenants, Equipment and Components Suppliers and Contractors

Discover Oklahoma City

unassigned lands urban renaissance oil discovery historic districts and museums

A little over a century ago, Oklahoma City was a grass and timber land of gently rolling hills flattening out into prairie. Today, it sprawls across 625 square miles of America's heartland and a population of over a million. During the 1800s, the U.S. government forcibly relocated Indian tribes from all over the country into the area known as Oklahoma Territory. There was one parcel of land that was never given over to any tribe.

The Unassigned Lands in the 1880s, many frontier Americans wanted to move into this land; landless pioneers began slipping over into this area without authorization. The Boomers were trying to force the government into opening the territory up to homesteaders. In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation that opened-up the Unassigned Lands and about 50,000 homesteaders gathered at the boundaries with some people, known as the Sooners, sneaking over at night to stake out prime land. At noon, the cannon roared, and the hordes of people streamed over the line on wagons and buckboards, horseback, on foot and even on bicycles. Soon, nearly 10,000 people had staked out claims near the Oklahoma Station and what today is Oklahoma City.

Statehood came for Oklahoma in 1907. Oklahoma City was a center of commerce, attracting a number of packing plants in was then known as Packing Town. In 1910, the state capitol moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City with the Lee-Huckins hotel as temporary capitol building. The new state capitol was dedicated in 1917.

Oil Discovery in 1928, oil was discovered, creating the city's most important financial resource and making Oklahoma City the world's newest boom town. Oil continues to be one the most important players in the city's economy.

Historic Districts Oklahoma City's unique past and bright future can be experienced through its many distinct districts. Check out what to eat, enjoy and experience in each eclectic district.
Adventure family-friendly adventures when visiting Oklahoma City.
Asian an influx of Vietnamese immigrants in the 1970s transformed the area surrounding Northwest 23rd Street and Classen Boulevard into a vibrant enclave of Asian culture.
Automobile Alley is just north of downtown in what used to be the primary location for the city's car dealerships; now it is home to some of OKC's best local dining, specialty shops and more.

Boathouse whether you want to train like an Olympian or just burn off some energy, the Boathouse District along the Oklahoma River is a hotspot for outdoor recreation.
Bricktown once a busy warehouse area, now it’s the city’s hottest entertainment and dining district.
The Classen Curve district in northwest Oklahoma City is the place to dine, shop and play.
The Deep Deuce district of Oklahoma City is small but carries tremendous historical significance as a center for jazz music and African-American culture.
Film Row the city's preserved film distribution district has been reborn as a creative hub on the western edge of downtown.
Midtown's mix of local restaurants, neighborhood pubs, unique shops and historic homes make it a great place to experience the best of OKC's recent urban renaissance.
The Paseo Arts district is known for its eclectic art galleries (many attached to working artists' studios) and shops, as well as its cuisine and nightlife.

The Ninety-Nines is the international organization of women pilots that promotes advancement of aviation through education, scholarships, and mutual support while honoring our unique history and sharing our passion for flight. Established in 1929 by 99 women pilots, the members of The Ninety-Nines, Inc., International Organization of Women Pilots, are represented in all areas of aviation today. And, to quote Amelia, fly “for the fun of it!”

Plaza is trendy, gritty and a lot of fun. If you're the sort that likes to check out the hip and happening, you'll find it in the Plaza District.
Stockyard City is home to shops specializing in all things western; here, you can outfit an entire ranch or just find a new pair of boots and enjoy a great steak in Stockyard City.

The Western Avenue district boasts an eclectic mix of local restaurants and bars, retail shops and boutiques, antique and furniture stores and fine art galleries.

Uptown is home to one of the latest neighborhood revitalizations in OKC. Anchored by the historic Tower Theater, you'll find great locally-owned restaurants and bars, as well as fun boutiques.

Museums

National Cowboy & Western Heritage features one of the most comprehensive collections of Western art in the world, the museum depicts the rugged spirit and rich influences of cowboy culture.

Oklahoma City National Memorial pays tribute to those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.

Entertainment and Dining District stroll along the mile-long Bricktown Canal or cruise on a Water Taxi and enjoy a narrated tour of the district.

The Oklahoma History Center is home to over 2,000 artifacts that tell the stories of Oklahoma and its people, the center features a new special exhibit each year.

Philadelphia and the Delaware River Valley

River Walk and Bike Trails Food Wine Ale and Neighborhood Preservation

The Delaware River Valley is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia, the region's major commercial, cultural, and industrial center. Among the many sights to take in when visiting the first capital of the United States: The Liberty Bell Center which houses the American Revolution’s defining symbol, the site of the meetings of Congress and the Constitutional Convention at the City Tavern in the Old City as well as Carpenters Hall. In Declaration House, visitors can see where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence and Independence Hall where it was signed.

Greater Philadelphia Transportation

The region’s excellent road and rail network make it the perfect location for a vacation or business trip to the Middle Atlantic States. Philadelphia International is a major airline hub with daily connections to North American destinations and from major European cities.

The River and the Environment

The Delaware River is comprised of 36 tributaries and flows 330 miles from New York to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to the Atlantic Ocean. It extends from the Catskill and Pocono mountain springs and streams flowing down to the Delaware Water Gap where steep slopes give way to gently rolling hills and sweeping valleys. Then, it stretches 134 miles from the Trenton falls to the mouth of the Delaware Bay read 

 Food Wine Ale Walk and Bike Trails

The Philadelphia Culinary Tradition was shaped by several ethnic groups. Cheese steaks and soft pretzels are well known icons of this city and the 1970s saw a restaurant renaissance that is continuing into the 21st century. Food traditions include Pepper Pot, a soup of tripe, meat and vegetables from the Revolutionary War era and Snapper Soup a thick brown turtle soup served with sherry. Cheesesteaks, hoagies and roast pork sandwiches have helped Philadelphia become America’s sandwich city.

Neighborhood and Community Preservation

Lehigh Valley Historic Towns and Boroughs Allentown Bethlehem Easton Nazareth Hazleton Jim Thorpe Wilkes-Barre. A thriving town with roots in the iron industry, by 1829 Allentown expanded from a small Pennsylvania Dutch village of farmers and tradesmen to a center of commerce.

The Lehigh Valley Gave Birth to America’s Industrial Revolution

Colonial & Industrial Revolution Heritage Museum

Bucks County is one of the three original counties created by William Penn in 1682. Bristol is the oldest town in Bucks County and the third oldest in Pennsylvania. It is the southern terminus of the D&L Trail characterized by coal yards, shipyards, warehouses and textile mills.

Chestnut Hill a beautiful award-winning neighborhood tucked into the northwest corner of Philadelphia. Renowned for its gardens, art and architecture, parks, shopping and dining, it is a lovely place to live or visit with many diverse, culturally enriching experiences.

historic districts preservation and pirates

Delaware County and River Towns Marcus Hook’s historical significance comes from its identity as a maritime town. Originally a Lenape settlement, it became a New Sweden trading post in the 1640s with shipbuilding and fishing as early industries. The Hook was also a haven for pirates in the early 18^th century and its market provided a place to sell plundered goods and re-supply for their next voyage.

 

 

The Main Streets of the Brandywine Valley

Wayne Lansdowne Historic Districts the Downtown Wayne district includes approximately 100 properties roughly bounded by Louella Ct., West Ave., and S. Wayne Ave. Amongst the buildings is the Anthony Wayne Theatre designed in Italian Renaissance style and built around 1864 read

Chester County was established by William Penn in 1682, one of the first three counties in Pennsylvania; West Chester is the county seat. Other historic towns include Kennett Square, Oxford and Phoenixville. Each has its own unique agricultural, revolutionary and industrial histories.

New Castle and Wilmington Delaware founded by the Swedes and Finns in 1638, later acquired by the Dutch in 1655 and the British in 1739, Wilmington was the last stop to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Today it offers a rich performing arts scene, great museums. local wineries and breweries.