4 minute read
Ron’s Ramblings
Next Article
Joseph S. Daddona “Union Terrace Park” Popular Spot though Never Completed
BY Ron Epstein
Public parks are an essential part of life for residents of most American cities. Their quiet, peaceful atmosphere eases the burdens of daily life and brings enjoyment after a hard day’s work or on weekends. Allentown has many such parks, but the jewel of the West End is Joseph S. Daddona Lake and Terrace – perhaps better known as the former Union Terrace Park.
More than just a park, it offers a large amphitheater, a softball field, baseball diamonds and basketball courts, as well as grassy fields, a picnic grove with a grill, and a beautiful lake.
Located at 21st and Union Street, the park was created in 1932 as the result of a gift of 11 acres of land along Cedar Creek by M.A. Reisensmith and Associates. Later that same year, the Allentown Parks Department contracted with several engineers to lay out plans for a lake and amphitheater.
The lake, which was constructed beginning in 1934, was originally planned as a children’s fishing lake. When it opened in 1935, it was stocked with perch, sunfish, and catfish. The lake was open to ice skating during the winter of 1935/1936.
The Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded and oversaw the construction of the amphitheater in 1937. It consists of a large double stairwell on the St. Elmo St. side of the park, which leads to a stepped terrace down the side of a grassy hill facing an elevated stage. There are also several smaller stone stairways on both the Walnut and Union sides of the terrace.
Just before World War I, as the automobile was beginning to become the primary mode of transportation, two large stone pillars were constructed at 24th and Liberty Street as part of what was then the west entrance gate into Allentown. In 1937 the structure was dismantled and the 8 WEST END LIVING WINTER 2021
CONTRIBUTED BY DEVON ROWLAND
Burning Hearts Fire and Light Theatre
two stone pillars were moved to Union Terrace and placed on each side of the amphitheater stage.
Designed for outdoor concerts, the Amphitheater is large enough to seat 6,000 people. In the late 1930s, an additional 2,000 people could sit on wooden benches that were built by the city. These benches were eventually removed over the years due to deterioration and never replaced.
The stage is surrounded by welltrimmed bushes and trees, and its beauty is enhanced by Cedar Creek – which runs in front of the stage – and the lake behind it.
Unfortunately, money ran out and construction of the amphitheater was halted in 1938 and never completed. Construction of a bandshell for the stage; equipment storage; changing rooms; a sound system; and public facilities were all proposed in 1940, but never built
PHOTOS BY JANE GEIST PHOTOGRAPHY
because of the lack of funding.
Left unfinished as it was, the amphitheater is prone to many difficulties – poor acoustics, no amplification system, and a oncebusy railroad spur that tended to disrupt concerts with noise. All of these problems have left the structure as a mainly visual attraction. The building has the basic qualifications as an outdoor theater, such as for graduations. However, it needs improvement for general public use.
Sadly, in recent years, the amphitheater has been rarely used. Its most recent use was “Shakespeare in the Park,” an annual performance that took place between 2006 and 2017. Plays presented during these years include “Romeo and Juliet” (2006), “A Mid-Summer Nights Dream” (2007), “As You Like It” (2009), “Much Ado About Nothing” (2010), “Macbeth” (2012), “Twelfth Night” (2013), “Othello” (2014), “A Comedy of Errors” (2015), “Hamlet” (2016), and “Richard III” (2017).
The park was also the site of several performances by the Burning Hearts Fire and Light Theatre in the 2010s.
Union Terrace Park was renamed “Joseph S. Daddona Lake and Terrace in 2002, just two years before his death, in honor of the former Mayor whose residence at 1928 Walnut Street overlooks the park.
The park is open 24 hours a day seven days a week, although the hours may vary on holidays. n
NO minimum balance requirement NO monthly maintenance fee NO fees for debit/ATM card or purchases made with the card FREE fraud protection with Text Alerts and our exclusive CardValet app FREE personal assistance in redirecting your automatic payments and deposits
PLUS BONUS*
For a limited time, earn a $50 BONUS when you open a Free Checking for Life account.
