What's New in Old Allentown: Union and West End Cemetery

Tom Schleicher's latest project is proof that great things are happening in the Allentown Historic District.

Schleicher, who has lived in the district for more than twenty-five years, is heading an initiative to fix up the perimeter around the Union and West End Cemetery. The upkeep of this area is dear to Schleicher's heart: Schleicher owns three houses that face the cemetery, and he used to live in a house that faces the cemetery.

Every Tuesday at 6 p.m. for the past four weeks, Schleicher and his crew have been pulling weeds and edging the sidewalk between the iron fence and the curbside around the cemetery. Schleicher says that, when he started, there was a lot of sod and ugly weeds near the sidewalk, but you would not know that from looking at it now; the grass along the sidewalk is neatly trimmed.

The Union and West End Cemetery covers most of the area bordered by Chew Street, 12th Street, Liberty Street, and 10th Street. Cleaning up the perimeter, therefore, is no mean feat. According to Schleicher, some skeptics doubted that he would be able to gather enough people for this project, but his group has grown quickly from two people in its first week to eight people in its fourth week. Schleicher's group contains a diverse array of people, including both renters and owners. In just its fourth week, the group has already fixed about half of the perimeter!

Schleicher's group is not the only one lending helpings hands to the Union and West End Cemetery. For instance, Elm Street is planting trees, and Properties of Merit is repainting the cemetery's fence. Check out those silver spires!

Special mention must also be made of Candida's, a local club that provided free refreshments and hospitality to Schleicher's group in its beautiful courtyard! The efforts to restore the Union and West End Cemetery represent the Historic District at its best: individuals, local businesses, and organizations working together to ensure a brighter future for the district.