Archibald Johnston Mansion
The “Big House” of Bethlehem’s first mayor
MAP 2
After serving a single term as the newly consolidated city of Bethlehem’s first mayor (1917-1921), Archibald Johnston and his wife Estelle Borhek Johnston moved from their house on Church Street in historic Bethlehem to a new home in Bethlehem Township. It was designed by the young architect Curtis Lovelace and situated in the approximate center of the Camel’s Hump properties Johnston had purchased from 1919 to 1921.
Lovelace designed a 3,000-square-foot, Georgian Revival-style house with 22 rooms on a site selected by Johnston overlooking the Monocacy Creek. The house has three stories, with the third floor used by Johnston as his office and library.
Interior features of the home reflect the style of residences of families in Bethlehem. In examining photographs of the home and reading the inventory of the house taken shortly after Johnston’s death, Archibald and Estelle collected furnishings and art which reflected the interests and tastes of the period.