Lock Replacement in Allentown, PA

Older doors, older lock types

Allentown's older neighborhoods shape many lock replacements. Federal, Italianate, Eastlake and Victorian houses share the Old Allentown Historic District in Center City, while the city describes the homes of West Park, in the West End, as Colonial Revival and Queen Anne. An older door of that kind may carry a mortise lock, which sits in a pocket cut into the door edge, rather than the bored lock sold for newer homes. A replacement has to fit that pocket or the door has to be cut, and cutting an original door is hard to undo.

Historic district review

City Ordinance 12314 established the Old Allentown (1978) and Old Fairgrounds (1981) districts, and Ordinance 13881 established West Park (2000). Exterior alterations in these districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness. For minor changes, staff review may be enough. For substantial alterations that can be seen from the street, the Historical Architectural Review Board recommends approval or denial to City Council.

Replacing a front door or its visible hardware may count as an exterior alteration, so contact the city's Historic Office before choosing a new lockset or handle for a street-facing door. That office is the place to ask whether a particular change needs review. This is general information, not legal advice.

Choosing what to replace

• Match the style. Philadelphia's rowhouse manual, written for that city's rowhouses, notes that new hardware is made to match older styles, so a period look does not rule out a new, working lock.
• Keep the door. The same manual advises reusing old doors rather than replacing them when possible, so ask for a new lock fitted to the original door.
• Repair first where you can. A sticking key or loose knob is often a lock repair job that keeps the original hardware on the door.
• Key alike. When several doors get new locks at once, they can share one key.

When you ask for lock replacement, give the neighborhood, whether the house is in a historic district, the door material, and photos of the lock's edge plate and both faces. Neighborhood and district notes are on the Allentown page.