German immigrants settled in what is now Whitehall Township in the early 1700s. By 1752, the land area of Whitehall encompassed the present Coplay borough, North and South Whitehall Townships. A British businessman from Philadelphia, Lynford Lardner built a hunting lodge named Grouse Hall; it was painted white. The locals called it White Hall. Until the mid-1800s, agriculture was the main industry. Grist mills were required to grind grain in a usable form. Only one of these grist mills remains in Helfrich Springs, Grist Mill. The completion of the Lehigh Canal leads to the discovery of iron ore, bringing Whitehall to the Industrial Revolution. Railroads were constructed to ship iron ore and finished products. This led to the discovery of Jacksonburg limestone used to make cement. David O. Saylor patented the process of making Portland Cement. By 1914, 70% of the US. Cement came from the Whitehall area. By the end of WWII, Whitehall became a bedroom community of Allentown and transitioned to retail from industry. Today, Whitehall is a retail mecca with two malls and more retail outlets along MacArthur Rd.