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Our living past, our growing future...

The first people to populate this area were the Minsi Delaware Indians, also called the Lenni Lenape Indians. The region that comprises North Whitehall Township was used as their hunting, fishing, and camping grounds.

In the early 1700's, settlers, predominantly German, began clearing the land, raising crops and establishing villages. Thanks to the presence of fertile land, Coplay Creek proved particularly attractive to the early settlers. Chief Kolapechka was friendly with the settlers and often served as an interpreter. The name Coplay is derived from his name.

Whitehall Township received its name from Lynford Lardner’s hunting lodge. Lardner built a white-painted lodge in 1740 and named it “Grouse Hall”. On March 20th, 1753, Whitehall Township was formed from part of Northampton County, which had been deeded to the sons of William Penn. In the November of 1810, Whitehall Township divided into South Whitehall, Whitehall, and North Whitehall.

The early villages usually began with the construction of a gristmill, saw mill, or a building which served as a hotel, a store and a post office. In time, other buildings and homes were established. The Villages of North Whitehall were Ballietsville (the oldest), Ironton, Laury's Station, Neffs, Orefield, Ormrod, Rockdale, Ruchsville, Siegersville, and Schnecksville. The Township is situated at the northeast edge of Lehigh County. Three other rural townships - Washington, Heidelberg, and Lowhill border North Whitehall to the northwest and west.

North Whitehall Township as it remains today encompasses 125+ miles of Township roads and acres and acres of homes, rolling farmland, and beautiful recreational areas. We hope to continue to experience growth that will keep the tax-base strong while maintaining green space and allowing the Township to offer a variety of services to its residents.

Throughout its rich history, North Whitehall Township has proven to be an economically strong community and a desirable place to live.

For more historical information please see the brochures below.

Set amid the rolling hills and rural landscape of the Lehigh Valley, North Whitehall Township is as much a place to raise families as it is to farm turkeys. Jaindl Farms and Land Development, one of the township’s main employers, sells nearly 1 million turkeys every year around Thanksgiving, and two of them are earmarked for the White House. These aren’t the turkeys pardoned each year; they’re free-range, antibiotic-free Grand Champions, processed and packed by Jaindl for the president’s table. “The Jaindl family has been very successful here and own several industrial complexes in North Whitehall,” says Desiree Carroll, who’s sold real estate throughout the valley for the past 15 years. “They’ve built warehouses and distribution centers for companies like Amazon. They’ve brought a lot of growth to the area.”

With parks, hiking trails, family-friendly attractions and an exceptional school system, North Whitehall Township is also a welcoming place for families. “The Parkland School District is one of the best in the country,” says Realtor Joyce Folsom Shiffler, a 40-plus-year veteran with Re/Max Central Allentown who’s lived in North Whitehall since 2001. “It’s a nice place to raise kids, more rural, with wonderful skiing nearby on Blue Mountain, which I can see from where I live.” After 911 and the development of Interstate 78, which connects the Lehigh Valley to New York, more workers from out of state have moved into North Whitehall. “They love it here,” Shiffler says. “This is a down-to-earth, blue-collar community. Prices aren’t high, and we’re only two hours from New York City.” CAP Index gives North Whitehall Township a crime score of 1 out of 10, the lowest possible rating. The national average is 4.

Many of the homes that go on the market in North Whitehall Township are farmhouses built in the 1800s. With stone fireplaces, pellet stoves, barns, smokehouses, chicken coops and fruit trees on the property, these homes highlight the history of the area and list from $140,000 to $420,000. Ranch-style homes are also a common site and can feature attached garages, walk-out basements, and private fenced-in yards and patios that sometimes back up to open space. They sell for between $200,000 and $600,000. Colonial-style homes are often built on an acre or more of land and come with extras, such as offices and family or recreational rooms. Newer homes often include luxury amenities such as in-ground pools and three-car garages. Depending on the amount of land and features, these homes can range from $400,000 to $1.2 million. “You’ll find houses in all different price ranges in North Whitehall Township,” Shiffler says. “About half used their own septic system and well water. Whatever the case, they sell within two weeks here, the market is so strong.” Manufactured homes from $28,000 to $215,000 are available, too, and a small num