Lehighton

The look and character of this riverfront town reflect its German ancestry.  This small town began when the Moravian Brethren Society started converting the local Delaware Indians to Christianity. In 1746, the Moravians organized a mission in what is now Lehighton, and named it Gnaden Huetten (meaning “tents of grace”). As the settlement grew, missionaries established another village along the east side of the river and named it New Gnaden Huetten (today’s Weissport).
 
The Delaware Indians and Moravians lived peacefully in these settlements.  However, in 1755, the mission was attacked, 10 people were killed, one was captured, and all buildings burned to the ground. New Gnaden Huetten settlers, warned of the attack, were able to escape to Bethlehem.
 
Following the massacre, many forts were built along Blue Mountain, the most important being Fort Allen in present day Weissport.  It was constructed by Benjamin Franklin and his men. It wasn’t until after the Revolutionary War that settlers felt safe from Indian attacks.
 
In 1794, war veteran Jacob Weiss and gunmaker William Henry II owned most of the land on which Lehighton rests today. The settlement that arose, named after the Lehigh River, became a popular rest stop for those traveling along the road from Berwick to Easton.
 
Still, it wasn’t until the Lehigh Canal was completed in 1829 that Lehighton began to grow and thrive. The building of the Lehigh Valley Railroad helped increase population.  The Borough was incorporated in 1866.

Things to see and do in Lehighton