Bethlehem in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Smith Complex
1750 - 1761
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 22, 2009
1. Smith Complex Marker
“...The houses of the congregation were well built, and there were all sorts of manufacturing establishments there...There were good carpenters, cabinet-makers, steel-workers, and very good blacksmiths...”
Baroness von Riedesel's Journal
September, 1799
The craftsmen who worked in metal held important jobs in the Bethlehem community. The blacksmith made and mended tools, hardware, mill and agricultural machinery, wagon parts, and horseshoes. The nailsmith made thousands of tacks, nails, rivets, and spikes for furniture, shoes, and buildings. The locksmith made and repaired locks, small tools, saddle mountings, hinges, screws, and gunstocks.
Between 1743 and 1750, the blacksmith, locksmith, and nailsmith plied their trades at various locations. In 1750, they were housed under one roof in a limestone building erected on this site. In 1761, the smith complex was enlarged to the north and the tinsmith and gunsmith also worked here. In the 1780s, the nailsmith moved out and by 1820, only the blacksmith remained in the building.
Erected by
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features • Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1799.
Location. 40° 37.173′ N, 75° 22.944′ W. Marker is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in Lehigh County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and Old York Road, on the left when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bethlehem PA 18018, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Colonial Industrial Quarter (a few steps from this marker); Pottery (within shouting distance of this marker); First House of Moravian Settlement (within shouting distance of this marker); First Bethlehem Pharmacy (within shouting distance of this marker); Moravian Community (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Waterworks (within shouting distance of this marker); Waterworks (within shouting distance of this marker); Bark Shed (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bethlehem.
Also see . . . Colonial Industrial Quarter Reconstructed Smithy. (Submitted on January 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 22, 2009
2. Smith Complex and Marker
At right, between the doors of the building.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 22, 2009
3. Drawing of Bethlehem on Marker
This 1793 view of Bethlehem by Nicholas Garrison, Jr. clearly shows the expanded smithy located on the bluff on the hill overlooking the Monocacy Creek.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 735 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
