The future of one of the Lehigh Valley’s most important pillars of the LGBTQ community is in doubt.
The building that houses Stonewall Lehigh Valley, a beloved gay bar in downtown Allentown, is under contract to be sold, confirmed Joel Krieger of Krieger Real Estate. The sale of the property includes the liquor license, leaving Stonewall’s future pretty cloudy.
The property, located at 28 N. 10th Street in Allentown, was initially listed in February with an asking price of $600,000. Krieger said he could not divulge more information without consent of the buyer and seller.
The three-story property was built in 1916, eventually becoming Stonewall in 1972, a home for the Lehigh Valley’s LGBTQ+ community. The bar regularly hosts drag performers, dancers and karaoke nights. The club’s Facebook page states that it’s “where friends come together” since 1972. Next year would be it’s 50th year in operation.
The loss of Stonewall would be a travesty for those in the LGBTQ+ community in the area. It’s the last bar or nightclub of its kind in the Lehigh Valley, hallowed and homely ground for gay and transgender people.
“Gay bars were the original community centers,” said Adrian Shanker, executive director of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. “They have long been places where LGBTQ people could find community. That’s why it is so sad to have Stonewall Lehigh Valley, the last remaining gay bar in our region, close its doors.”
A program of the Bradbury-Sullivan Center, the Lehigh Valley LGBT Community Archive, is launching a project in partnership with Muhlenberg College to remember the near half-decade of Stonewall. “This project will collect photographs, stories, and other materials from Stonewall that will be added to the archive,” according to a release from the center. “The memories will be included in a future public exhibit and in a special issue of the Lehigh Valley Gay Journal.”
The 8,072-square-foot building is currently owned by RJS, LLC, which bought the property in September of 2005 for $175,000. The current listening includes all furnishings, furniture and equipment, in addition to the liquor license.
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Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
