Site History
The Wilbur Mansion
In 1865, Lehigh Valley entrepreneur, Elijah Packer Wilbur, built the Wilbur Mansion for his personal home. Wilbur was the nephew of Asa Packer and was one of the founders of Lehigh University. He started the EP Wilbur Trust, one of the first banks in the Lehigh Valley, and he ran the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. He lived in the mansion with his family until he passed in 1913.
The Masonic Temple
In 1925, Wilbur's wife sold the Mansion to the Bethlehem Masons, who built their Lodge and Temple as an addition to the Mansion. The Masons held their meetings, membership gatherings, and hosted many events in the grand ballroom for almost 100 years.
The Next Chapter
In 2015, the Masons put the entire site up for sale. On an impulse, John Noble purchased the site unsure of what to do with it, but he knew it had a lot of really exciting potential! Currently, the whole Noble family is working together with the help of great community partners to bring the Wilbur Mansion back to life and establish a spectacular venue at the gateway to Bethlehem!