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The rifle pictured is a product of two of the most prolific gunsmithing families in Northampton County Pennsylvania. The rifle exhibits all the Northampton school characteristics including the sheath buff plate, the trigger guard stud, the egg shaped wrist and the arrow back side plate.

The rifle is signed on the barrel and on the brass side plate by its maker, John Moll Jr., and on the side barrel flat by the barrel maker "P" Hess.

John Moll I is listed in the tax assessment list for Northampton County in 1764. He married Lydia Rinker in 1772 and was married in the Zion Reformed Church, where the Liberty Bell was hidden from the British during their occupancy of Philadelphia. John Moll I began the Moll family gunsmith business which was operated by the family for 110 years on North 7th street in Allentown prior to the American Revolution. John Moll I died in 1794.

John Moll II was born May 13, 1773. He married Elizabeth Newhard in 1795. John and Elizabeth had a son, John Molt III, who was born November 13, 1/96. John Moll and John Moll Jr. are both listed as gunsmiths on the Lehigh County tax list dated January 6, 1821. (John Molt being John II and John Molt Jr. being John III). They also had a son Peter who was born October 13, 1799 and who later settled as a gunsmith in Hellertown. John Moll II's will lists him as John Moll Jr. and John Moll III is listed as John Moll Jr. in his marriage announcement.

The side flat of the barrel of this rifle is marked "P" Hess identifying the barrel maker as Philip Hess. Philip Hess Jr. erected a large stone rifle factory at the foot of the Blue Mountain in Heidelberg Township Lehigh County in 1832. Forged rifle barrels were purchased from Kutztown and the forged iron barrels were ground from a circular to an octagonal form at the Philip Hess grinding mill situated west of the rifle factory. Philip Hess sold the gunbarrel factory December 5, 1838

The patch box of this Molt rifle is engraved with the name "Allentown"; Allentown bore the name Allentown until 1811 when, by the division of Northampton County it became the seat of justice of Lehigh County. It was incorporated by Act of Assembly passed March 18, 1811 as the "Borough of Northampton". By a similar act April 16, 1838 the name Allentown was again restored, eight months prior to the sale of the Philip Hess gun-barrel factory.