{"nrhp_refnum":"73001658","name":"Moravian Sun Inn","other_names":["Sun Inn"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"564 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bethlehem","county":"Northampton County","state":"PA","lat":40.621957449000035,"lon":-75.38126319699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-10-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The Sun Inn is a former colonial inn in Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, built of limestone in the Germanic style of the Moravian community. Construction began in April 1758 and was completed in March 1760.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the inn is an important architectural, commercial and historic landmark of the colonial and Revolutionary period. It is described as the only known colonial inn built in Germanic rather than Anglo-American style, and its guest register links it to many figures of the founding era. It also played a role in Fries' Rebellion in 1799.","narrative":"Built of limestone in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, between 1758 and 1760, the Sun Inn was constructed by the Moravian community in the Germanic building tradition that marked the town. Work began in April 1758 and the first guests arrived in September 1760. Its guest register lists visitors tied to the founding of the United States, including George Washington, John Adams, Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton and Benedict Arnold. After the Battle of the Brandywine, more than 900 wagons of Washington's army were parked on the low ground behind it. In March 1799 the inn was the scene of Fries' Rebellion, when John Fries and armed followers secured the release of prisoners held for refusing to pay the house tax. Later alterations added floors, a flat roof and brick coating, substantially changing its original appearance, though the main entrance remains in its original location.","period_of_significance":"1760","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Germanic","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Seriously altered; the document states present plans call for restoration and use as a hospitality center.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.268067-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/73001658.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001658/868eb3a8cd-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001658/868eb3a8cd-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moravian_Sun_Inn_Oct_11.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moravian_Sun_Inn_Oct_11.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"72001131","name":"Central Bethlehem Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/central-bethlehem-historic-district-72001131/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994652","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_Sun_Inn","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6909351"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/northampton-county/moravian-sun-inn-73001658/"}