BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Age, weather and usage can be debilitating to any structure, let alone a Gothic-revival style mansion built in the 1860s.
But look to your right coming south over the Hill to Hill Bridge in Bethlehem, and you’ll see a marvel of a property impeccably restored—and with its doors wide open to the community.
- Once a private residence, Wilbur Mansion has officially opened its doors to the public
- The building has been turned into a boutique hotel, restaurant and event space
- It sits within the Fountain Hill Historic District, just off the Hill to Hill Bridge
Wilbur Mansion sits within the Fountain Hill Historic District, which showcases other stately homes also built in the Colonial, Georgian, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival and Shingle styles. The properties line West Third and Wyandotte streets and Delaware Avenue, many with mature landscaping and plenty of eye-catching details.
Among these grand homes, the Wilbur holds a most distinguishing feature—a tower that starts at ground level and rises vertically over the property. At the top are crenellations, or upright projections that resemble teeth, yielding the look of a high-status domicile.
But the mansion, once home to former Lehigh Valley Railroad President E.P. Wilbur, is no longer a private residence. Instead, it has opened its doors as a boutique hotel, restaurant and private event space its new owners hope will beckon visitors from near and far.
‘When it came up for sale, it was a no-brainer’
Whether vacant for years or lacking significant updates, a historic property usually requires renovations that can be overwhelming to prospective buyers.
But that wasn't the case for John and Lynn Noble. In fact, they saw only a rich history and plenty of potential—long before the Wilbur Mansion ever went up for sale.
“I watched it for about probably 30 or 40 years, and I just kept on looking at it,” John Noble said. “Actually, I fell in love with the real estate, the ground. And when it came up for sale, it was a no-brainer.”
What the Nobles found inside was beyond their expectations, with the original woodwork, tile and stained glass from the 1800s. Much of it had been preserved well.
“You know, there's a lot of history," John Noble said. "But to me, the architectural characters were just something you can't duplicate anymore.
“So COVID hit, and now I'm sitting here looking at this thing. My experiences with recessionary-type, economic things are that it's usually a very good time to build—which in this case couldn't be as far from the truth as possible. But it kind of crystallized the fact that I just had to jump in and start doing this. So that was the better part of two and a half years ago, I guess.”
That's where the story of a mansion restored to a new version of its former grandeur takes a turn.
Because it turns out the original intention of the Nobles buying the property was a little bit different than how things have ended up.
“The original intent was what I perceived as newer, open, kind of really nice apartment buildings," John Noble explained, and those did come first.
The Wilbur Views, an apartment community featuring luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments, was built on the back of the property in 2021 with four stories, 50 units and spectacular views.
But the Nobles never lost focus on the mansion and what they felt it should be—an open building with public access, and a showcase at the gateway to Bethlehem.
‘The mansion really told us what it needed’
Masonry restoration. New windows. New lighting.
And that’s just scratching the surface of the challenges inside the Wilbur as renovations began.
“Everything's a challenge," John Noble said. "But one of the things that we kind of never lost focus of, though, is where we wanted to be on an end result.
“So it doesn't matter what kind of challenges you have, whether they're supply, labor or anything else. Whenever you hit a challenge…there's no such thing as an insurmountable challenge. You just figure out how to go around it.”
The Nobles realized they couldn’t get too focused on the pure historical architecture, but instead aimed to capture the essence of the building. That meant making it modern, usable and comfortable for people living in today's world.
“I just remember it took maybe a year and a half to really get a handle on what kind of decorating we were going to do here,” Lynn Noble said. “But what ultimately happened is just from spending time here, the mansion really told us what it needed, in a way.”
And now?
“Every room is unique. Every room has a story,” she said, referencing the nine boutique hotel rooms offering modern decor and amenities that blend seamlessly with the original architecture.
There are coffered ceilings, extensive tilework in the generously spacious bathrooms, and ornate fireplaces that liberally mix and match decorative elements that are eye-catching at every turn.
There also are unbeatable views of Bethlehem from an expansive and modern indoor event space that fully opens to the outdoors and can be used year-round.
“When the Wilburs still owned the place, they even went through a major reconstruction back in 1895," Lynn Noble said. "So I think if they were still living today, they would probably have done just what we did—keep what was beautiful, but kind of enhance it with modern furnishings and just keep up with the time.”
Saving the Chimney Swifts
Plans called for the old Bethlehem Masonic Lodge to be demolished to make room for an addition to the Wilbur Mansion next door.
But in December of 2020 the demolition was halted when it was discovered that the Temple’s 40-foot high chimney was used as a resting stop for Chimney Swifts - a type of small bird - along a migratory route to South America.
As a lifelong advocate for wildlife, John Noble decided he would do whatever it took to keep the chimney upright.
”We were in contact with the Audubon Society. Jennie Gilrain was a local school teacher, and actually, I guess she called the city first and said, ‘What's going on? This is terrible.’ And then I got a call from the city,” John Noble said.
With the help of the local community, the Audubon Society, engineers and architects, the Nobles were able to find a way to save the existing chimney.
”John was researching whether we could move the chimney or whether we could build a new one,” Lynn Noble said, with a mention that the birds should return in the spring, but sometimes change their migratory routes.
Today, if you drive past The Wilbur Mansion you will see it standing next to a brand new modern event center.
I love that we saved it because now we're even using it on our logo,” John Noble said.
‘It’s going to be a nice place for us to experiment’
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Executive Chef Jon McCain unfolded an arm and gestured to the expansive kitchen he’s in charge of at the Wilbur, noting how the Lehigh Valley’s culinary scene has become a common bond for its residents.
The goal, McCain said, is to offer a menu that’s fairly priced for what the Wilbur is doing, with options that are inclusive instead of exclusive.
“We’re aiming primarily for local, seasonal products and changing the menu regularly,” McCain said. “At least more often than a lot of restaurants would for this sort of continually evolving menu focused on the seasonality of produce and seafood.”
There’s swordfish because of good production off the coast of New Jersey, and tilefish is probably coming next out of Viking Village in Barnegat Bay, McCain said. It’s the same place he sources scallops that are served up with Beluga lentils, sea beans and Bowfin caviar.
“We have to be a little more dynamic with how we change the menus so that we can keep up with what's available and what's not,” he said. “And then in terms of the dining experience, you know, we're aiming at very high-end products without being too formal. You know, no tablecloths, no Maître d'…just kind of very low key.”
But there’s also something special being planned that should pique the interest of Lehigh Valley foodies.
“There’s a Chef's Table here we haven't started booking yet,” he said. “It’s going to be a wholly separate menu, a tasting menu of five to seven courses, and it'll be served by the chefs and we’ll explain what we’re serving. It’s going to be like a nice place for us to experiment and do some really cool things.”
What’s up at the Wilbur:
Don’t Miss: There’s a door upstairs that was once the front of a walk-in safe. The basement is its own separate event space you can check out through the floor in the bar area. And the tower was an old linen closet now converted into a bathroom (inside Suite 302) with a spectacular chandelier and incredible views of the city.
Quotables: “One of my good friends in the restaurant business said, 'Make sure you make a room people talk about,'” John Noble said, discussing the bathroom on the first floor. Definitely pop in to freshen up before dinner.
Built: 1864
Location: 201 Cherokee St., Bethlehem
For more information: https://www.wilburmansion.com/
