From the outside, the 10-acre property at 0 Little Creek Road in Lower Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, looks like every other farmhouse in the Lehigh Valley. However, it was once home to a celebrated photographer.
Larry Fink's former property hit the market earlier this month for $1 million after his wife — sculptor Martha Posner — decided to downsize. The property is special because of its historical and cultural significance, listing agent Sam Del Rosario of Serhant said.
Born in Brooklyn, Fink was known for his black-and-white photography. Perhaps his most famous piece was "Social Graces," a collection of images comparing 1970s New Yorkers to working-class, rural Pennsylvanians. Fink's pictures have been published in magazines across the nation, including the New Yorker and Vanity Fair.
Fink died in November 2023. The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan purchased Fink's catalog of photos "for multiple millions of dollars" after he died, Del Rosario said.
Before his death, Fink spent decades living in the stone farmhouse.
The home is 1,824 square feet and features four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. Inside, it has two fireplaces, a wood-burning stove and an attic. Outside, it has a koi pond, a storage shed and three outbuildings that Fink described as having different purposes.
The bank barn, for example, has a studio inside that Fink used as a darkroom, Del Rosario said. Fink also held seminars in the barn for working artists, the agent added. There's also a one-bedroom cottage on the property that Fink's ex-wife — painter Joan Snyder — used as her studio.
Finally, the property had a one-story cabin that Fink used as a retreat where writers and other artists stayed for a while, bonded with nature and found inspiration for their craft, Del Rosario said.
Fink's former home sits in Lower Mount Bethel, a small rural town along the Delaware River that has a history of cement production dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The town is about 80 miles north of Philadelphia and 23 miles from Allentown.
The property also functions as a farm — complete with a greenhouse and chicken coop. Operating the farm has its financial benefits, Del Rosario said.
Under Pennsylvania's Act 319, any resident who uses their land for farming or agricultural purposes gets a reduction on their property tax bill. Posner has saved thousands of dollars because of the law, and the new owners of the property would, too, Del Rosario said.
“Her property taxes are like $5,000, so it's a substantial discount considering all the structures on the property," he said. "Otherwise, it would be either $9,000 or $10,000."