Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Rittenhouse Town
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 5, 2013
1. Rittenhouse Town Marker
William Rittenhouse, first Mennonite minister in America, erected here in 1690 the colonies first paper mill. Successive generations of Rittenhouses built additional mills, establishing this region as the center of American papermaking. By the 1850s this village had over 40 buildings, and seven early buildings survive from this once prosperous industrial community. Scientist David Rittenhouse was born here in 1732.
Erected 1990 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1690.
Location. 40° 1.753′ N, 75° 11.41′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Wissahickon Valley Park. It is on Lincoln Drive, on the right when traveling south. Marker is accessible from the parking area for Rittenhouse Town off Lincoln Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1690 Lincoln Dr, Philadelphia PA 19144, United
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Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: David Rittenhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Rittenhouse Homestead (within shouting distance of this marker); Homestead (within shouting distance of this marker); Colonial Herb Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Germantown (within shouting distance of this marker); Rittenhousetown Historic District (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sailor Grove Stormwater Wetland (about 800 feet away); Dr. Mary Davis Ridgway (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Jacob Rittenhouse Home at RittenhouseTown (was
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 5, 2013
2. Rittenhouse Town Marker
Also see . . . Historic RittenhouseTown – A National Landmark District. (Submitted on October 5, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 5, 2013
3. Marker on Lincoln Drive
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 5, 2013
4. Rittenhouse Homestead circa 1690
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 5, 2013
5. Abraham Rittenhouse Home circa 1720
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 5, 2013
6. Surviving Buildings at Rittenhouse Town
The Jacob Rittenhouse Home, circa 1811 (left) and the Enoch Rittenhouse Home, circa 1845 are seen here.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 983 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 5, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
