A Lyons, Pennsylvania company is working on restoring the interior of the centuries old Bogert Homestead (aka Hunter’s Cabin) in Allentown’s Lehigh Parkway. The ca. 1741 log and stone cabin is one of the structures located within the Lehigh Parkway Historical District.
Friends of the Allentown Parks ("Friends") has contracted with Schleicher Painting of Lyons, via Robertson’s Renovations of Kempton, Pennsylvania, for the restoration work of the cabin which is located just above the north entrance to Bogert’s Bridge over Little Lehigh Creek.
Friends of the Allentown Parks received a $14,350 grant from an anonymous donor to fully fund this project.
“Bogert’s Homestead is a wonderful piece of local history,” said Friends Executive Director Karen El-Chaar. “We are thrilled to be able to obtain the funding for the interior renovation and very grateful to the donor for their generosity.”
Plaster walls will be prepared and painted on the first and second floors. Workers will scrape, sand and wash first floor ceiling and beams, then apply an oil based primer and two coats of an acrylic washable paint. El-Chaar is working with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to identify an appropriate interior paint color to match colors utilized during the Colonial period.
The exterior of the front porch including the ceiling, front door and frame will be scraped, sanded, oil based primed, and then two coats of acrylic exterior paint will be applied.
The contractor will also patch and cement the chinking between beams at the bottom of the building where damage occurred on the inside plaster.
The Allentown Department of Parks and Recreation will provide oversight for the project which is expected to be completed in about three weeks.
The Bogert family came from the German speaking regions of Europe to Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century. Peter Bogert, who built the cabin, helped negotiate a settlement between white settlers and Native Americans of the Lenape tribe over transportation on the creek.
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Friends of the Allentown Parks is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2008 which works to increase use and enjoyment of Allentown’s parks, fosters stewardship of the environment and city parks, provides volunteer opportunities and promotes recreation programs and outdoor learning.