A Concise History of RittenhouseTown

After nearly 200 years of economic success, new technologies and increased competition brought an end to milling at RittenhouseTown.  In July of 1890, the city of Philadelphia acquired 8 acres from the heirs of Peter Rittenhouse. This land included the Mill and  Rittenhouse Homestead.  The following year the Fairmount Park Commission purchased the remainder of the 20 acre plot originally leased by William and Nicholas Rittenhouse from Samuel Carpenter in 1690. Other parcels of Rittenhouse land became part of Fairmount Park Commission through gift or purchase.  The last remaining parcel included the Abraham Rittenhouse Home which had been sold by Rittenhouse descendant, William Umstead to Dr. Mary Ridgway in 1914 and was finally sold to the city in 1917.   At the end of the nineteenth-century the Commission demolished the ca. 1702 mill and a number of nearby buildings as part of their plan to create parkland for city residents and to control the sources of pollution which were making the city’s drinking water. Even in its demise, the destruction of the Rittenhouse mill was part of the story of the development of one of the largest city parks in the United States, Fairmount Park.

Since 1984, when Hugh Hanson founded the Friends of Historic RittenhouseTown, it has been our mission to preserve, protect and interpret our important National Historic Landmark District.  With the generous support of foundations, individual donors and our members, we have demonstrated our commitment with the successful restoration of the 1707 Rittenhouse Homestead, ca. 1730 Bake House, ca. 1720 Visitor Center, and ca. 1845 Enoch Rittenhouse Home.  As part of our interactive education program, our professional staff provides interpretive walking tours of our early industrial village, interactive colonial German cooking in our 18th century Bake House and hands-on paper making classes to over 3000 students – from preschool through high school – each year.  A visit to Historic RittenhouseTown enables educators to discuss with their students a wide variety of academic topics – from history and art to science, nutrition and conservation and to integrate their experiences at Historic RittenhouseTown with the State curriculum requirements.

Today our National Historic Landmark District reminds us of the importance of the paper making industry to the development of early America and the essential role of the Rittenhouse family as suppliers of locally produced paper for letters, legal documents, maps and books.  Visitors to Historic RittenhouseTown today can still experience the sense of community which has characterized this unique spot since the 17th century.

Mission of Historic RittenhouseTown, Inc.

Historic RittenhouseTown, the site where William Rittenhouse founded the first paper mill in British North America and where his grandson David Rittenhouse, patriot and scientist was born, is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of this National Historic Landmark. Through archeology, historic research, preservation, and high-quality educational programs, Historic RittenhouseTown dedicates itself to informing the public about the life and times of this Early American industrial village.

Timeline

• 1984: Thirty individuals form Historic RittenhouseTown, Inc. to preserve, restore, and historically interpret Historic RittenhouseTown. This group of individuals works to prevent further deterioration of the buildings and to open the buildings to the public to share this important history.
• 1986: The site is open for visitors and the hands-on papermaking program for school students is introduced. The organization introduces many annual events to allow members and visitors to enjoy the site.
• 1990: The organization conducts a major capitol campaign to celebrate the Tricentennial of the founding of the paper mill, raising enough money to hire a professional staff, convert the Abraham Rittenhouse Home into a visitors center and the barn into a papermaking studio.
• 1992: The name of the organization is officially changed to Historic RittenhouseTown, Inc.
• 1998: Historic RittenhouseTown, Inc. introduces the colonial German cooking program, which takes place in the restored Rittenhouse Homestead Bakehouse.
• Today: Historic RittenhouseTown, Inc. is supported by members from across the United States and overseas. The membership helps to maintain five of the orginal buildings, all of which are open and interpreted for over 13,000 visitors a year.

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