Coopersburg Historical Society, Inc.

09/06/2026

This Labor Day weekend, we take a moment to honor the generations of workers whose skill, dedication, and perseverance shaped our communities. This photo highlights one of the factories for Coopersburg’s industrial past.

The history of the building at 102 E. Station Ave stretches back to 1906, when local businessman William H. Baim, owner of the coal and lumber yard along the railroad, set out to build a new three‑story cigar factory. Designed as a modern, fire‑proof structure with a full basement, it replaced a smaller building then leased to a cigar‑making company. Contractor W. F. Danzer began construction that summer, with four carloads of brick arriving by rail in July.

Sadly, Baim passed away suddenly in October 1906 and never saw the project completed. The building was finished by the end of the year, celebrated with a banquet and dance. The Coopersburg Cigar Company, which had been leasing the previous building, moved in January 1907. Leading up to the opening, the company even offered cigar‑making training during the long winter evenings of December 1906. At the time, a skilled cigar maker could earn $12 to $15 a week.

In 1908, the factory changed hands and became home to Otto Eisenlohr & Co., makers of the Cinco cigar. It employed around 50 people and its location along the railroad made it easy for to***co to arrive and finished ci**rs to ship out. Eisenlohr remained until closing in 1921. This photo is of the building during this time. Look closely and you can see a worker peering out of the first floor window and the name on the side of the building.

By the mid‑1920s, the building took on a new life when the Senderowitz brothers converted it into Royal Manufacturing, a sewing factory producing BVDs, which are men’s underwear, originally a brand name that became a generic term over time. This business employed around 100 men and women. Later businesses included Jac’s Sportswear and more recently Arencibia Associates.

Today, this historic structure still stands near the Saucon Rail Trail, a reminder of the hardworking people who shaped Coopersburg across more than a century.

08/29/2026

Some more great photos shared by Coopersburg Community Day!

08/28/2026

With Southern Lehigh School District heading back to school this week, it’s the perfect time to share this recent donation. This program comes from the 1964 dedication of Liberty Bell Elementary School, which continues to serve our community today. Many longtime residents will recognize the names listed here.

The school takes its name from the Liberty Bell Trolley that once ran near the current site. The bell placed at the building has an even longer history. It was first in the original Coopersburg High School along Route 309, which is no longer standing. In 1909 it was moved to the the Coopersburg Junior-Senior High School (which later became Coopersburg Elementary), where it was used until 1938 when electric bells were installed. After being stored in that school’s basement for years, it was brought to the new Liberty Bell Elementary once it was completed, making the new school the bell’s third home.

08/20/2026

Here are some more photos from a past Community Day! Make sure to share your memories. Thanks for posting Coopersburg Community Day, we can't wait for the big day!

08/15/2026

Coopersburg Community Day is just about a month away, and we’re getting excited! We’ve been busy digitizing photos and slides from our archives, and Coopersburg Community Day will be sharing them on their page. If you recognize anyone in the photos, drop a comment or tag them so we can help reconnect these memories.

You can also visit their website https://www.coopersburgcommunityday.org/ to learn more about the history of this great community‑focused event and see how it’s grown over the years.

08/06/2026

Mark your calendars for our last open house during the Coopersburg Farmers Market season on Sunday August 16th!

07/31/2026

We found this photo in our collection and although it is tied to Lower Milford Township, we wanted to share it with our community. This photo captures a man who was an important part of Limeport at the beginning of the 20th Century, Dr. Arthur Franklin Gerberich.

Dr. Gerberich came to Limeport in 1910 and spent the next 28 years as a country doctor, traveling day and night, in every kind of weather, to reach patients across Lower Milford and beyond. His dedication was celebrated during the famous 1914 blizzard, when he and several others fought through snowdrifts 3 to 16 feet deep on horseback to reach a sick patient near Great Swamp Church.

But Dr. Gerberich wasn’t only Limeport’s physician. He was a strong supporter of Limeport baseball. On May 6, 1934, before a crowd of more than 2,000 spectators, Dr. Gerberich was given the honor of tossing out the first ball at a league game between the Limeport Milkmen and East Greenville, an acknowledgment of how deeply he shaped the community’s baseball spirit.

When he passed away in 1938 at age 50, more than 1,500 people attended his funeral, and even the league delayed its playoff game so the community could pay its respects. His legacy as both doctor and community supporter remains an important part of Lower Milford’s story.

We’re grateful to preserve and share images like this, a reminder of the people who helped build the character of our local communities. If your family has passed down a memory of Dr. Gerberich, please share it in the comments!

Limeport Stadium Lower Milford Historical Society

07/28/2026

The Coopersburg Historical Society is pleased to announce that our Spring 2026 Newsletter is now available on our website. You can read it at:

https://www.coopersburghistoricalsociety.org/home/newsletters

This edition includes an article on the history of a South Main Street home that once served as the office of a well known town doctor, as well as a feature on Marion Kelly Candies, a beloved local business that operated along Route 309 in the 1960s.

As always, we release each newsletter online one cycle behind, meaning the most recent edition becomes public once the next one has been sent to our members. If you would like receive the newsletter as soon as it’s released and support our mission to preserve Coopersburg’s history, becoming a member is the best way to do it!

Please consider becoming a member today! Membership information is available at:

https://www.coopersburghistoricalsociety.org/home/membership

07/27/2026

Do any local car enthusiasts recognize the Channelers club or Jimmy Seidel? Thanks for sharing John Harding!

Looking for more information on Jimmy Siedel’s ole Hot Rod and “The Channelers”Car Club of Coopersburg! Any Help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!