The Sigal Museum is a history museum located at 342 Northampton Street in downtown Easton, Pennsylvania. It serves as the flagship facility and headquarters of the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society (NCHGS), which also operates several historic properties, including the Jacob Nicholas House, Mixsell-Illick House, the 1753 Bachmann Publick House, and Kressler Garden.[1] The museum houses an extensive collection of artifacts and documents related to Northampton County history and organizes rotating exhibitions highlighting local heritage, such as Forged from Fire, which explored the heroism and history of firefighting in the county.[2]
The museum is operated by the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society, which was established in 1906. The society was founded by a group of local history enthusiasts who met to share their research and began collecting artifacts related to the region's history. Over more than a century, the collection has grown to include more than 60,000 items.[3][4]
Building History
The museum's location has a rich architectural history. The site was originally patented in 1754 to Jacob Meiner and served as a family home through the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1872, Edward Abel constructed the Abel Opera House on the property, which became a prominent entertainment venue through the Victorian era and into the age of vaudeville. After a fire, the building reopened as the Embassy Theater in 1927.[5]
In 1957, Arthur P. Sigal purchased the building and extensively renovated it, removing the upper two floors and retrofitting the structure for retail use. The Sigal family operated a women's fashion store and bridal gallery on the property until December 2000.[6] The Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society acquired the property in 2003 for use as a history museum. [7]
Current Museum
The building underwent extensive adaptive reuse by Spillman Farmer Architects, who designed a completely new contemporary exterior facade using concrete, locally quarried slate, and glass.[8] The museum opened to the public in August 2010. The building spans 31,626 square feet across three floors plus a basement.[9] The renovation received recognition including selection as a Top 5 Museum & Cultural Space by ArchDaily in 2010, a Commercial Real Estate Award from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2011, and Building of the Week honors from American-Architects.com in 2012.[10]
Rotating Exhibitions
The Sigal Museum maintains a regular rotation of curated exhibits in its Chrin Gallery
2024 - 25 Warehouse Valley: A Changing Landscape - an exhibit comparing historic and contemporary views of the Lehigh Valley. [11]
2024 - 25 “I Saw Easton the Way It Could Be:” Tim Hare. - an exhibit honoring Tim Hare (1947–2020), an artist, architect, and community advocate whose preservation work and activism helped shape modern Easton.[12]
2023 - 24 Forged by Fire: The Heroism, Honor, and History of Firefighting - an exhibition which explores the history of firefighting in Northampton County.[2]
2023 Through Our Lens: Urban Landscape Photography by ten Wilson Area High School Students - an exhibition featuring photographs of ten local teenagers exploring the theme of Urban Landscape. Inspired by local photographer and juror, Peter Ydeen.[13]
2022 - 23 Easton Nights at the Sigal Museum - an exhibition of over 70 photographs exploring Peter Ydeen's nocturnal series entitled Easton Nights.[14]
2021 - 22 Another American’s Autobiography: Selections from the Petrucci Family Foundation’s Collection of African American Arts - an exhibit collaboration with the Petrucci Family Foundation featuring over 25 pieces of art from their collection.[15]
2019 - 22 Dirk Bach: Canine Illumination a collection of acrylic paintings and colored pencil drawings focuses of Mavis – illuminated by Shiva, posing on rugs, with figures from Japanese prints, African sculptures.[16]
2019 Destination: Northampton County - an exhibition exploring the stories of those who left everything and everyone behind, for a shot at a new life in the Lehigh Valley.[17]
2018 - 19 Sign Language: Protest, Passion, and Politics, Photographs By Ed Eckstein, 1963-2018 - an exhibit striving to capture the immediacy and timelessness of protest movements.[18]
Collections and Permanent Exhibits
The Sigal Museum houses significant collections focusing on Northampton County history, including:[19][20]
20th-century artifacts from Northampton County residents
The museum features three exhibition halls, a Decorative Arts Gallery, a music room displaying connections to the C. F. Martin & Company of nearby Nazareth, and visual galleries. The Charles Chrin Changing Gallery hosts rotating special exhibitions highlighting collections from NCHGS and partner organizations. The facility includes a 100-seat auditorium named the John R. Austen Auditorium.[26]
Notable permanent exhibits explore the formation of Northampton County, early settlements, the Lenape people, agriculture, conflict and wartime periods, local industry, and regional antique photographs.
Jane S. Moyer Library & Research Facility
The museum's third floor houses the Jane S. Moyer Library and NCHGS Archives, named after the society's volunteer librarian of more than 70 years. The library provides resources for students, scholars, and genealogical researchers, including:
Over 6,000 volumes on county and family history
More than 10,000 manuscript items
6,000 surname files
2,000 history vertical files
120,000 photographs
Thousands of maps, drawings, and architectural plans related to Northampton County history[27]
Other NCHGS Properties
The Sigal Museum is one of four historic sites operated by NCHGS in Easton:[28]
Bachmann Publick HouseJacob Nicholas House
1753 Bachmann Publick House also known as the Easton House – The city's oldest remaining building, containing the last remaining Northampton County colonial-era courtroom
Jacob Nicholas House – Named for its first resident (1807–1832), who was a wood turner and later a Durham boat captain
Mixsell-Illick House – A Victorian-era structure that served as NCHGS headquarters for several decades
Kressler Garden – A pocket park in downtown Easton
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