Updated: Bethlehem Tp Acquires Painting of Son of Bethlehem's First Mayor

Bethlehem Township Commissioners were presented with a portrait of Archibald Johnston, Jr. at their November 20 meeting. Malissa Davis made the presentation on behalf of Cameron A. Smith, an 18 year-old man who serves on Catasauqua's Planning Commission. Davis and Smith met while both were attending a Citizen Academy at the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. He was unable to attend in person because he had a meeting in Catty.

The painting is of Archibald Johnston, Jr., son of Bethlehem's first Mayor.

Smith purchased the painting on Craigslist for $45 from Ed Sherwood. After listening to Davis talk about Johnston and Housenick Park, he was inspired to donate the portrait. He noted that he is researching Desiderius George Dery, who at one time owned the world's largest silk manufacturer. "[P]eople have donated so many wonderful Dery related items to me and I felt it was my turn to reciprocate," he said.

Archibald Johnston was Bethlehem's first Mayor. He may have been its best. He became Mayor in 1918, when the United States was reeling from the deadly Spanish flu. That pandemic that may have killed as many as 100 million people worldwide.

His City, which had both a strict quarantine and a makeshift hospital at the Steel Company, suffered only about 100 casualties. Philadelphia, which failed to plan for or react to this calamity, dumped close to 13,000 bodies outside police stations and in trench graves.

Johnston, an engineer, believed in planning.

His mansion and surrounding grounds were devised to Bethlehem Township by his granddaughter, Janet Housenick, along with a $2 million fund for maintenance.

In addition to the gift, Smith is asking Commissioners to do "whatever they can to restore the Johnston Mansion. It really is a tremendous asset and an untouched example of gilded age mansions"

Updated 9:15 pm: In my original version of this story, I erroneously reported that the portrait is of Archibald Johnston. I apologize for my error.