Our Community
Palmer Township, PA
LEHIGH VALLEY
The Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania covers 726 square miles in Lehigh and Northampton counties. The two-county area consists of the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. “The Valley”, as some locals refer to it, is named for the Lehigh River, which runs through the valley.
Palmer township is part of the metropolitan area of the Valley. North-to-south Highway 33 crosses the northwestern portion of Palmer Township and it is here, at the Route 33 Corridor that Carson 33 has established 7 leased warehouses and are in the process of developing an addition five at the Main Street Interchange.
Famous Faces
IN THE COMMUNITY
JOE MADDON
Joe Maddon was born in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and attend Lafayette College. During his time as a professional baseball manager and coach, Joe Maddon managed the Los Angeles Angels, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Chicago Cubs. In 2016, Maddon led the Cubs to their first World Series Title since 1908.
“You have to have a little bit of crazy to be successful”
– Joe Maddon, Lafayette College class of 1976
MARIO ANDRETTI
When he was just 15 years old, Mario Andretti’s family immigrated from Italy to Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Mario and his brother Aldo always had an interest in racecars. Upon graduating from high school, Mario created a fake driver’s license so he could enter an amateur race. Mario would go on to become one of the most decorated drivers in motorsports history, as one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, the World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR.
“When I looked at my life in many ways, out of so many negatives, here comes a positive, and this was certainly one of them, here was an opportunity created for us, the kids, and my dad always cited that. He would say in a sense I am looking at your future, where I think would be the best solution for you kids to have opportunities. [And] he was correct, he was right because if we had remained in Italy I don’t know whether I could have pursued what my first passion was and the only passion I really had career wise.”
KATHRYN ELIZABETH GRANAHAN
The grandchild of four Irish Immigrants Kathryn Elizabeth Granahan was born in Easton, Pennsylvania in December of 1894. Kathryn was married to William Granahan, who served in the United States Congress from 1945 through 1949 until death in 1956, at which time Kathryn was elected to complete his term in the 84th United States Congress. Simultaneously, she was elected to the 85th United States Congress in her own right. Kathryn was re-elected in the 86th and 87th congresses. In 1959, a local publication referred to her as “a woman of considerable energy and convictions.” She was appointed by JFK as the 32nd Treasurer of the United States in 1963.
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President John F. Kennedy visits with newly-appointed Treasurer of the United States, Kathryn E. Granahan, at her swearing-in ceremony; members of Mrs. Granahan’s family are also in attendance.
LARRY HOLMES
Larry Holmes was nicknamed “The Easton Assassin” as a tribute to his roots in Easton, Pennsylvania. Larry began his boxing career as a sparring partner for Muhammad Ali, who he would later defeat in defense of his “Heavyweight World Champion” title. Larry held the title from 1978 until 1985. With a left jab powerful enough to fell a redwood, Larry Holmes became one of the most dominant heavyweights of his era—or any other—beginning in the late 1970s.
“My fans know the name Larry Holmes and that he always gave it his all.”
MULGREW MILLER
Mulgrew Miller was a prominent jazz pianist, whose career began in 1976 when he was invited to play with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. In 1989, Mulgrew and his family relocated from Mississippi to Palmer Township, Pennsylvania. Mulgrew released more than 15 albums under his name, and was featured on more than 400 others.
PHILIP SHOWALTER HENCH
Nobel Prize-winner Philip Showalter Hench graduated from Lafayette College in 1916. Along with two of his colleagues, Hench discovered the hormone ‘cortisone’ and its ability to treat arthritis.
JAMES MCKEEN CATTELL
America’s very first proferssor of Psychology, James McKeen Cattell, graduated from Lafayette College in 1880.
CHARLES CHRIN
Charles Chrin has been a leading Lehigh Valley business community member for over 60 years. He has founded and directed numerous successful independent enterprises under the Charles Chrin Companies in various industries. In addition To residential and commercial development sites, Charles Chrin is the visionary behind the innovative 800-acre Chrin Commerce Centre. The public-private partnership resulting in the Charles Chrin Interchange, at the core of the Chrin Commerce Centre, is the crown jewel of his career. For more than six decades, Mr. Chrin has also focused his energy and resources on supporting community–based initiatives to promote quality education, positive youth development, and leading-edge health care. Mr. Chrin has received numerous civic and economic development awards and accolades for his considerable business and community accomplishments.
Sixty years ago a young man with big ideas, but without much business experience, took a chance. He purchased a gas station in Easton, Pennsylvania. That early entrepreneur was Charles Chrin and, as is often said, the rest of the story is truly part of the history of the Lehigh Valley.
“With the new Route 33 interchange, the Chrin Commerce Centre is poised to be the region’s next center of growth. The Centre represents a great opportunity for high visibility development projects and will continue to attract top tier companies…”
~Don Cunningham, President and CEO
"The new Route 33 interchange will provide tremendous convenience to our tenants and buildings because they will have direct highway access. The ability to get to and from our properties easily and quickly is a great benefit for companies looking for locations that help them accelerate delivery time.”
~Jeffrey D. Palmquist,
Senior Vice President Northeast Region
Charles Chrin's "Interchange of Dreams" is now a reality!
Charles Chrin
Education
EASTERN AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Palmer Township has been cheering on the Easton Area High School football team since 1894. For almost as long, they have been rooting against the Phillipsburg High School team. The rivalry began in 1905, and continues to this day: the two teams play an annual game at Lafayette College, which typically attracts more than 20,000 fans. In 1988, this game became the first high school football game to be broadcast on national television. The Easton Area High School football team has only had 8 coaches in the last 100 years.
Lafayette College's most notable graduates include two Nobel Prize Winners, seventeen United States Congressmen, six governors, four members of the President's cabinet, countless distinguished athletes and artist, and the inventor of the solar radio.
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens of Easton. The college held its first classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution.
Located on College Hill in Easton, the campus is in the Lehigh Valley, about 70 mi (110 km) west of New York City and 60 mi (97 km) north of Philadelphia. Lafayette College guarantees campus housing to all enrolled students. The college requires students to live in campus housing unless approved to reside in private off-campus housing or at home as a commuter.
ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS
Easton Area High School alumni Roger Ross Williams us ab Oscar, Emmy and Peabody award-winning director to win an Academy Award in 2009. Williams has received the Career Achievement Award from International Documentary Association, The Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Award. The NYU Alumni Achievement Award, and an honorary doctorate from Lafayette College.
Conventions & Tourism
The Moravian star, an iconic symbol of the Christmas season, has special significance in the Lehigh Valley, particularly in the Moravian-founded communities of Bethlehem and Nazareth. The ornaments, which traditionally have 25 or 26 points, were used as craft projects to help demonstrate geometry lessons to young boys attending Moravian school. The stars were quickly adopted by the Moravian Church as a symbol of the birth of Jesus and represented the star of Bethlehem, according to the Monroe County Historical Association.
C.F. MARTIN
C. F. Martin & Co has been producing guitars since 1833, and has remained family-owned and operated since then. Martin Guitars said of their brand: “A Martin isn’t just a guitar. It’s playable history.” Their most acclaimed customers include Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Neil Young, Ed Sheeran, and John Mayer. Today, Martin Guitars offers tours of the Martin Museum, which houses unique musical items including the earliest known Martin guitar, a guitar made out of clocks, and antique string instruments and instrument-building tools.
MORAVIAN STAR
The Moravians established a permanent presence in Pennsylvania in 1741 purchasing 500 acres in Bethlehem and soon after bought 5,000 acres in Nazareth. An original thirteen settlers constituted the first inhabitants of Bethlehem. They proposed calling the place “Beth-lechem” or House on the Lehigh.
PENNSYLVANIA BACON FESTIVAL
Every November, The Greater Easton Development Partnership presents The Pennsylvania Bacon Festival. The festival touts over 150 food and drink vendors, more than 25 musical acts, and an abundance of bacon-wrapped fun for the whole family! Festival-goers are invited to participate in pig racing, hog calling, bacon-eating contests and much more. It’s no wonder the Pennsylvania Bacon Festival was named Lehigh Valley Style’s Best Festival of 2022.
Arts & Culture
Until the late 1960’s, more than half of the land in Palmer Township was farmland.
Rural traditions and values permeate the local culture to this day.
18TH CENTURY FARMHOUSE MOVED IN PALMER TOWNSHIP TO MAKE WAY FOR CARSON COMPANIES DEVELOPMENT
The 1752 farmhouse’s parcel of land at 1571 Van Buren Rd was purchased by Carson Companies with plans to build five warehouses totaling 1.1 million square feet. The land is centermost to the existing, seven occupied industrial buildings. The stone and timber structure will move about 2,000 feet south on 12.6 acres owned by the Charles Chrin family at 1551 Van Buren Road. The farmhouse was built by the Knecht Brothers, who were deeded the land by the family of William Penn, according to the Chrin Companies.
Wolfe House & Building Movers LLC, based in Bernville, Pennsylvania, is handling the move itself. Wolfe’s self-driven hydraulic system allows the home to be raised or lowered over dips in the dusty road that was excavated for the move. Between the house and the carriage system, that’s about 1 million pounds makeing its way along Van Buren Road, noted lehighvalleylive.com Future plans have not been established for the home.
KARL STIRNER ARTS TRAIL
The Karl Stirner Arts Trail allows walkers to immerse themselves in visual art while enjoying the beauty of nature. A paved walking and biking path guides visitors past an ever-growing collection of art exhibits, a meditation labyrinth, and several Qi Gong exercise stations. The trail is named for Easton sculptor Karl Stirner, who has spent 25 years as a mentor and unofficial real estate agent, ushering aspiring artists to Easton.
