History of 5 East Fourth Street

                  The building at 5 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem PA has an interesting and illicit history.  Currently known as the FUNHOUSE with the slogan “Where Fun People Meet and Party”, the first floor commercial space is a nighttime bar and local music venue for aspiring bands.  Founded in 1982, the venue has local music nightly.  One prominent band to have ‘made it big’ after being a regular attraction at the bar was the band “LIVE!” in the 1990s.  Over the years, many Lehigh student bands have also performed here.

                  Before the building existed as the Funhouse, it was the Lehigh Tavern from 1933-1982.  It experienced at least two different owners in that time frame.  A 2017 interview with the owner of the Funhouse revealed that from 1978-1982 a few partners ran the Lehigh Tavern, which they had bought from previous owners.  The owners of the Lehigh Tavern ran ads in the Brown & White (which can be seen to the right), from 1935 and to the left from 1950.  During the time of the Lehigh Tavern, the bar was larger, and it included the next door storefront, the current day laundromat.

                  According to local lore during prohibition, prior to the Lehigh Tavern, the building was home to a speakeasy in the back, with an ice cream store in the front. 

Present day image of the Funhouse, photo of maps data used by permission of google 2017.

http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/cdm4/bw2_viewer.php

Brown and White Vol. 43 no. 46: Adv. 23 Page 17

Brown and White Vol. 42 no. 49: Adv. 13 Page 11