Lehighton Fair Judges' Stand

Lehighton Fair Judges' Stand. .

"The truly spectacular feature of the Carbon County Fair… was the airport. Jake Arner's big hanger stood at the southern end of the midway, and during fair week local private pilots were available to take all comers who could pay five dollars on an air tour of Lehighton and vicinity. For me… five dollars was an astronomical sum, an unthinkable sum, but this did not prevent me from hanging around the planes, excited and consumed with desire." , Joan Campion , Mahoning: Memories of a Lost Valley

, The octagonal Judges' Stand was the centerpiece of the Great Lehighton Fair from its construction in 1900 until 1992, the last year the fair was held in Lehighton. It is believed to be the last structure of its kind in the United States. Perched on the stand high above the finish line, judges called the winners of the horse and auto races, and announced events like demolition derbies and professional wrestling., In 1992, the Lehighton Area School District condemned the fairgrounds to construct a new high school. The borough removed the Judges' Stand, though several years passed until Community Grove Park was designated as its permanent location., Through the efforts of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and PA House Speaker Keith McCall, a Pennsylvania DCED Grant was secured in 2007 for the stand's preservation. In 2012, Lowe's Home Center volunteered to spearhead the renovations through the Lowe's Heroes Volunteer Program and the Judge's Stand was moved here permanently., [Captions:] , The Great Lehighton Fair was established in 1858. In later years, the fair was renamed the Carbon County Fair. The last fair was held in Lehighton in 1992, and in 1999 the Carbon County Fair was revived at the new grounds in Lower Towamensing Township., The roof was considered an engineering marvel in that it could be cranked upwards manually to allow the judges to be seated in the judging area and avoid the elements. When not being used, the roof could be cranked down and would enclosed the area.