For the fourth non-consecutive year, volunteers from the Hellertown Historical Society transformed an oft-overlooked but interesting borough landmark into a makeshift Halloween attraction, welcoming trick-or-treaters to its “haunted” one-room jail on Laubach Street.

The jail was built in 1872 – the same year as the borough’s incorporation – by Thomas Laubach. The structure was donated to the HHS in 1984 by Elizabeth Hess, a descendant of Laubach. She was the widow of former Mayor Howard Hess (1946-49), who maintained the building until his July 1983 death.

After the transfer of ownership, the building sat in moderate disrepair for a couple more decades. Finally in 2016, the society voted to replace its roof (which featured a gaping hole at the time) and a portion of water-damaged flooring.

Once restorations were complete, the society – led by members Don Mills and Dolores Di Paolo – began promoting the attraction as suitable for visitors. Halloween in 2018 was the first time the jail, which sits behind Main Street from Penn Street along Silver Creek, was adorned for trick-or-treaters.