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Cigar
Factory, has hosted tours of the studio building for the city officials. He has also planned and promoted live music performances, film screenings and festivals. Wunder and his non-profit organization originated the Allentown ArtsFest in 2014, which is a three-day event held at Cedar Beach Park that highlights Allentown's art culture with more than 300 vendors, artists, and performers contributing.
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Alternative Art
Gallery and neighboring tenants. Events feature original works by occupants of the Cigar Factory, as well as other notable area artists. Private studio spaces are often open to the public during these events. Since the ribbon cutting ceremony held on November 19, 2013, the Cigar Factory Artist Studios has grown to become Lehigh Valley's largest arts building.
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for the cigar manufacturers. Against all odds, Bondy and
Lederer continued to maintain their presence as a major Allentown cigar manufacturer until the 1960s. After the cigar factory closure, the site was used briefly as a knitting mill. After the knitting mill closed, 707 North 4th Street, along with many of its neighboring factory buildings, stood vacant.
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Because of these efforts, there is a noticeable trend toward an improved downtown area, and therefore the Cigar
Factory Artist Studios has been well received by the community and celebrated by city officials. Weekly open house events, workshops for children, and art installations are hosted by the
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The former Bondy and
Lederer factory building currently houses commercial space utilized by apparel manufacturers, and in 2012 the owner and developer secured a contractor that would redevelop remaining space into retail and office space, 45 artist studios, and a community art gallery. Evidence of
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The growing popularity of the cigarette was a large cause of the eventual decline of many cigar companies’ success in
Allentown. Cigarette manufacturers were enjoying better success by the 1920s, and their ability to mass-produce the more economical cigarette proved to be too much of a competition
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The North of
Tilghman neighborhood, or No-Tie district, is a concentrated area of working artists and other creative minds that are enthusiastic and advocating for redevelopment projects. This site in particular is unique in that the building and its revitalized surrounding area caters to artists
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merchants and cigar manufacturers that employed 600 cigar rollers at their New York City headquarters in the late 19th century. They chose
Allentown for their business expansion because of the area’s reputation for its high-quality tobacco production and cigar manufacturing. In 1913–1914, there
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Furthermore, there are efforts underway to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood with the support of city officials, including the mayor's office and the
Allentown Tenants' Association. In support of these efforts, Brandon Wunder, the director of the Alternative Art Gallery and a tenant of The
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Today, the city attracts a wide variety of creative manufacturing, art producers, and light industrial companies wanting to lease space in the area. There is a lack of available land for new construction, and the demand for affordable, structurally-sound space in general is high. There is an
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Throughout history, Allentown has been a major contender in the manufacturing arena. In the early nineteenth century, the area’s grain production was among the highest in the country, and by the middle of the century, the
Industrial Revolution was well underway. The
219:’s art district. The site formerly belonged to the Bondy and Lederer Cigar Company, and consists of a 101,239 square-foot repurposed cigar factory on North 4th and Green Street. Today the building houses galleries, shops, and 45 artist studios.
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exported load after load of Allentown’s iron and steel. By the turn of the twentieth century, the city had greatly diversified their economy and was now producing silk, beer, and cigars.
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the 28,000 square-foot building's original purpose remains present, such as the first floor's tobacco blowing tubes, where tobacco leaves were transported through the factory.
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were nearly 60 cigar manufacturing companies operating and contributing toward federal revenue of $ 482,505 made as a result of Allentown’s cigar production.
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The factory building located at 707 North 4th Street was built between 1898 and 1900, for the purpose of
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Whelan, Frank (February 18, 2014). "History’s Headlines: From ‘Seegars’ to Artists’ Mecca.”
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Pedersen, Brian (August 10, 2012). “Firm Transforms Old Factory into New Artist Building.”
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attraction to refinished older buildings that have been refinished to meet modern needs.
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production. The New York-based Bondy and Lederer Cigar Company were notable
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454:"Allentown Cigar Factory Artists' Studios hosts tour for city officials"
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531:"Former Allentown Cigar Factory Transformed into Artist Studios."
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Martinez, Arlene (August 24, 2008). “Could it be another SOHO?”
379:"History's Headlines: From "Seegars" to artists' mecca"
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Conversion to Lehigh Valley’s largest arts building
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568:Organizations based in Allentown, Pennsylvania
223:Historical overview of Allentown's industries
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588:Tobacco buildings in the United States
573:Arts organizations established in 2013
558:American artist groups and collectives
553:Artists' studios in the United States
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511:. The Morning Call. The Morning Call
485:. The Morning Call. The Morning Call
478:Duckett, Jodi (September 28, 2017).
578:2013 establishments in Pennsylvania
529:McEvoy, Colin (November 19, 2013).
215:is an emerging artist community in
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47:Bondy and Lederer Cigar Company
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213:Cigar Factory Artist Studios
19:Cigar Factory Artist Studios
411:WFMZ-TV History’s Headlines
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459:. WFMZ. Lehigh Valley News
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143:Alternative Artist Gallery
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217:Allentown, Pennsylvania
124:40.611643°N 75.469096°W
85:Allentown, Pennsylvania
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440:Lehigh Valley Business
230:Lehigh Valley Railroad
129:40.611643; -75.469096
76:707 North 4th Street
506:"Building the Arts"
358:Common Area Gallery
346:Cigar Factory Tower
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65:Architectural style
52:General information
534:Lehigh Valley Live
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177:Floor area
115:75°28′09″W
112:40°36′42″N
148:Completed
60:Completed
515:4 March
489:4 March
463:4 March
429:, p. 1.
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388:7 March
322:Gallery
310:Gallery
294:Gallery
246:tobacco
185:Website
180:101,239
164:Masonry
91:Country
73:Address
57:Status
509:(PDF)
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334:Tower
242:cigar
517:2019
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390:2019
211:The
194:.com
151:1900
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