The 1750 Smithy in Historic Bethlehem

A Platinum Presidential Citation Award winner, Mark Sessanta is the CEO and founder of Stark Financial Group in Pennsylvania. A former director of advanced planning at Independence Planning Group and a LEAP-certified professional, Mark Sessanta is also involved with the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstone Church in historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Located in eastern Pennsylvania, historic Bethlehem was founded by a group of Moravian immigrants in 1741. A Protestant religion, the Moravians built many buildings in a distinctive architectural style in Bethlehem that still stand to this day. One such historic building is the 1750 Smithy.

The 1750 Smithy, currently maintained by the non-profit organization the Historic Bethlehem Partnership, housed rooms for a wide range of craftswork. Expanded to include a second floor in 1761, the smithy was an important building in everyday life in colonial America; numerous tools, household items, and guns were all made and repaired in the facility. Today, the building is a historic site and remains open to the public. Visitors can even view period blacksmithing work in progress.