For most of the late 19th and early 20th century, it provided passenger train service between Allentown and various U.S. Coast locations.

A small station was built in 1855, linking Allentown with Easton to the east and present-day Jim Thorpe to the north.

[2] During the Civil War, the region of Allentown surrounding Lehigh River underwent extensive industrialization.

New companies and industries needed cheap and reliable transportation systems to haul the raw materials and the finished products.

Both lines into Allentown were double-tracked, paralleling each other into their respective stations following American Parkway, which was later built on the abandoned railbed.

LV petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to cut back its unprofitable passenger service.

Both CNJ and RDG leased each other's lines in Pennsylvania, and suffered the same fate in terms of reduced passenger ridership.

[7] After the end of passenger rail service to Allentown, both LV and CNJ stations were closed and abandoned.

The renovated property went through several owners, serving as the Depot Restaurant, Gingerbread Man, B&G Station, Jillian's, and Billiard Cafe over the next two decades, and was lastly Banana Joe's, which opened on Labor Day 2001.