RittenhouseTown Historic District
Why it's listed
Set in a steep valley of Fairmount Park along Monoshone Creek, RittenhouseTown grew up around the paper mills of William Rittenhouse, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1687 or 1688. A partnership leased a twenty-acre tract from Samuel Carpenter in 1690, and the mill that followed is regarded as the first paper mill in British North America. Rittenhouse paper bearing the WR watermark was among the city's earliest exports. The family kept a near monopoly on colonial paper making for roughly forty years and later ran grist and cotton mills along the creek. Seven stone buildings from 1690 to about 1830 survive, including 207 Lincoln Drive, built in 1707 with a cooking fireplace in its basement. The village is also the birthplace of David Rittenhouse in 1732, who became an astronomer, clockmaker and the first director of the United States Mint.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the site holds the first paper mill in British North America, established in 1690, and that the Rittenhouse family operated several mills and a long-running paper monopoly. It also states that the village was birthplace of astronomer and instrument maker David Rittenhouse, born there in 1732, and that the surviving buildings document the domestic life of the community.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92001878, listed April 27, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 206--210 Lincoln Dr., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | April 27, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001878 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1690-1850 |
| Architectural style | Colonial; Georgian; Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Science |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated April 27, 1992 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most mills and associated buildings have been demolished; the seven surviving buildings remain, and preliminary archaeological investigations have identified areas of potential significance below ground. |
| Acreage | 84 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 40.02813, -75.19274 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92001878.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7336804
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.