Rachel, welcome to the Lehigh Valley Landmarks with Leon podcast series, celebrating 250 years of independence. I'm your host, Rachel Leon. Since being elected in 2022 and serving as Vice President of Bethlehem City Council, I'm humbled by the opportunity to serve the diverse communities that make up our great city. But to understand where we're going, we need to understand our past. Each week, I'll share a short feature with a big story about the 250 years that made the Lehigh Valley and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, known as the Christmas City, as we explore historic landmarks.
To launch the Landmarks with Leon podcast series on this July 4, 2025, I can't think of a better national historical landmark than the Sun Inn, that is included in the historical Moravian Bethlehem, Pennsylvania district, listed to the UNESCO World Heritage Register on July of 2024. Built in 1758 by the Moravians, the Sun Inn was well known in colonial times for its excellent food, hospitality and comfortable accommodations. During the Revolutionary War, the Sun Inn's significance grew as it became an important part of Bethlehem and the United States' history. No other Inn in the colonies hosted as many prominent figures who would sign the Declaration of Independence.
The declaration proclaimed that the 13 Colonies were now free and independent states, no longer colonies of the Kingdom of Great Britain, and thus, no longer a part of the British Empire. Several members of the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence include John Adams, Samuel Adams, who I thought was just a beer for a long time, Richard Henry Lee and John Hancock stayed at the Sun Inn when the British occupied Philadelphia. This demonstrates the inn's importance as a meeting place and resting spot for key individuals during the war.
The guest list includes other distinguished, leading patriots, statesmen and five men who became U.S. presidents and military chieftains, such as George Washington, Martha Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Ethan Allen, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Lawrence, Richard Lee and Marquis de Lafayette.
The Sun Inn also welcomed Native American visitors, specifically including chiefs and warriors of the Iroquois nation, also known as the Six Nations. The inn had three suites, something that was rare in the 18th and 19th centuries. Each suite had two bedrooms and a common area. There was also a kitchen with a butcher, and on the third floor, people who couldn't afford a suite would have to sleep in a bed with four people.
Today, the Sun Inn houses a tavern, a museum, and a distillery called Christmas City Spirits. The tavern and distillery owners are committed to preserving the history of North Bethlehem. Brewing authentic historical distilled products, they even replicated a recipe — the cherry bounce — famously made by Martha Washington.
You can tour the Sun Inn for free and dine at the restaurant, located at 564 Main Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Visit their website for hours of operations at suninnbethlehem.org.
