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DearREADERS,
Although AFSbarb@ancestry-inc.com and I are not members of the Rittenhouse family directly, we enjoyed accompanying copyqueen@aol.com (aka Audrey) to Philadelphia for this famous family's reunion. I was especially interested to hear Pastor Fred Weiser, well-known translator of Pennsylvania German church records, speak about Pennsylvania Folkart. His slide presentation was the highlight of the morning. Pastor Weiser has also been long active in the Weiser Family Organization which I mentioned in yesterday's column.
There was also an excellent presentation, by one of the Rittenhouse family members, on the origins and functions of paper mills in the new world. Since the original immigrant, William Rittenhouse, had apprenticed at Mulhein-uhr-Broich, he was well suited to set up the first paper mill in the 13 colonies of Great Britain. William and his son, Nichoilas, arrived in America, from Holland, in 1688 and within two years had established the well regarded mill in the Wissahickon Creek below the confluence of the Monoshone. William Rittenhouse was also the first Mennonite minister and was a strong influence on the development of that religion until he died in 1708.
We toured the site of the mills, at the famed Rittenhouse Town in Philadelphia, in the early afternoon. I was struck with the steep hills and winding roads leading to the site, as well as the large trees which shaded the cool, clear water of the stream. This important site in Fairmount Park is designated, by the U.S. Department of Interior, as a National Historic Landmark. There are seven original building which provide a glimpse of life over 300 years ago.
Our tour included a drive along the river, past the boathouses and a beautiful cemetery. We stopped off at Rittenhouse Square, and passed City Hall. I cried when I saw the Liberty Bell, for it was my first visit. We made sure to get photos of each of us touching the back side of this famous symbol of freedom.
As you look out the tall glass windows of the building housing the Liberty Bell, one sees across a beautiful flower garden and the grounds of Independence Mall to the south. We were immediately overcome by the site of Independence Hall itself. With a statue of George Washington marking the main entrance, one can readily imagine the daily visits of the fathers of our country as they met to hammer out the details of the Declaration of Independence. The sense of history is awe inspiring.
This tour was arranged by the reunion committee and was a welcome addition to the genealogy library, at the hotel, displaying information on Rittenhouse ancestors. Tomorrow it's off to Church, and then to Valley Forge to locate the spot where copyqueen@aol.com's ancestor's unit was camped.
I couldn't have planned a more enjoyable day if I tried!
Myrt :)
For more details:
Historic Rittenhouse Town Inc.
206 Lincoln Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-438-5711
DearMYRTLE
is a daily genealogy column (KEYWORD: dearmyrtle) published on America Online in the Genealogy Forum. Due to the volume of e-mail, Myrt is unable to respond to each individually. Representative samples are used as a basis for articles from time to time. Contact DearMYRTLE at: dearmyrtle@aol.com or dearmyrtle@ancestry.com
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