Colonial Court Mansion

Let’s take a trip back to 1901, when the Pan Am Exposition in Buffalo, New York, was buzzing with excitement. One of the standout attractions at the fairgrounds was the Michigan State Building, a jaw-dropping structure that wowed everyone who saw it. Fast forward to 1903, when a bold visionary named Theodore Allen Snyder decided to do something pretty audacious—he set out to bring that same building’s grandeur to Lehighton, piece by piece, via the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

And so, the Colonial Court Mansion was born. It was soon dubbed “the most beautiful home in the Lehigh Valley,” and it wasn’t just because of its stunning architecture. There was something mysterious and intriguing about the place, a vibe that lingered for years after it was built. But as incredible as the mansion was, its time in Lehighton would be heartbreakingly brief.

Theodore Snyder had big dreams even as a young guy. He came to Lehighton at just 20 years old to be the principal of the local schools. He married Emma Hauk in 1879, and by the time he was 28, he became the youngest Superintendent of Schools in Carbon County’s history. He was a key figure in the town’s growth, helping out with the Lehighton Savings and Loan, the Enterprise Building and Loan companies, and even bringing electric trolleys to the area. He also played a huge role in the Lehighton Land Development Association.

But in 1907, things took a tragic turn. Snyder, who had been battling a liver tumor, went to St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem for an operation. He made it through the surgery but began to decline rapidly. By Wednesday, the family was called to his side, and just two days later, on May 16th, he passed away.

Fast forward to the summer of 1915, when Charles and Phoebe Miller from Lehighton took over the Colonial Court Mansion, hoping to live in style and turn it into a boarding house. But things didn’t go according to plan, and by the next summer, the Millers were ready to leave. However, fate had other plans. In the middle of the night, around 1:30 AM, a fire broke out in the mansion. Boarder Robert Webb woke up to smoke pouring into his room from a closet and quickly alerted the Millers and their servant. The fire spread fast, and it was clear that nothing could be done. The fire hydrants in the area were useless—clogged with mud—and by 6:00 AM, the mansion was nothing but a pile of smoldering ruins. The iconic columns that had once stood proudly at the front of the building had fallen, burned to the ground. The Colonial Court Mansion was lost forever.