Winter 20092010
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Volume 23, Number 2 Winter 2009/2010 The Papermaker HISTORIC RITTENHOUSETOWN 206 Lincoln Drive ▪ Philadelphia, PA 19144 ▪ 215-438-5711 ▪ www.rittenhousetown.org ▪ [email protected] Executive Director: Chris Owens ▪ Director of Education & Program Development: Ariel Wilson INSIDE THIS ISSUE RittenhouseTown Celebrates the Life of David Rittenhouse and the Anniversary of Historic RittenhouseTown, Inc. at the American Philosophical Society Thank You to Our Volunteers 2 Over 125 guests joined together at the American Education Program 2 Philosophical Society’s Franklin Hall on October 29th to Receives Grants celebrate the 25th anniversary of Historic Rittenhouse- Historic RittenhouseTown’s Town Inc. and the life of David Rittenhouse (1732- Board of Directors 2 1796). Hugh Hanson founded Friends of Historic Ritten- houseTown in 1984 to preserve and protect the 1690 A Taste of History Airs on PBS 2 site of British North America’s first paper mill. Through our education program and ever-growing list of special Compass Collector’s Association 2 events and workshops, we continue to pursue his vision. Visits RittenhouseTown David Rittenhouse was the great grandson of the first An Evening in Celebration of 3 papermaker in British North America, William David Rittenhouse cont. Rittenhouse and his wife Gertrude. He was born in Programs & Events 4 RittenhouseTown’s original 1707 Homestead and later grew to be a respected figure among Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Descendent Shares 18th century elite. Throughout his life he mastered 5 Fond Memories of Blue Bell Hill many skills and professions and held some of the nation’s highest offices. David was an astronomer, Youthworks Students Provide 5 clockmaker, mathematician, patriot, public servant and Summer Assistance surveyor. He served as Pennsylvania Assemblyman, Commonwealth Treasurer, Second President of the Roxborough Garden Club 5 American Philosophical Society, First Director of the Decorates for the Holidays United States Mint and an elected member of the Royal David Rittenhouse (1791), by Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) Fine Arts Society. Rittenhouse Square in Center City Philadelphia In Memory 5 Collection, American Philosophical Society was named in honor of David in 1824. We are lucky enough to have a 1759 David Rittenhouse clock displayed in the Visitor Center at Rittenhouse- Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust Makes 5 Town, which was so generously donated by Mrs. Evelyn Rittenhouse of Timonium, Maryland. Temporary Home at Franklin Hall was the perfect space for our event due to David’s connection to the American RittenhouseTown Philosophical Society. We are grateful to Pat McPherson and Annie Westcott of the APS for their David Rittenhouse Clock is generosity and assistance in making the event a great success. Continued on page 3. 250 Years Old 6 2010 Calendar 6 Message from the executive director Membership This past summer was unusually wet. No sooner had the grass been mowed than it was ankle deep again. Invasive plants and trees grew and grew threatening native species. Painted surfaces Become a member of Ritten- needed cleaning and paint touch-ups. Since early summer, over 500 volunteers have contributed houseTown or renew your their time, expertise and energy helping us keep Historic RittenhouseTown looking its best. You will membership today by visiting see photos of many of these groups and organizations in this issue of the Papermaker. Volunteers www.rittenhousetown.org. are a vital resource for Historic RittenhouseTown and the work they perform critical to our success Your membership dues help to as a small non-profit organization with limited financial resources. Our volunteer program is an support our education program important part of our commitment to building bridges with the community in which we all live and and preservation efforts. As a work. Our volunteers leave Historic RittenhouseTown having invested a bit of themselves in the member you are entitled to free future of our site and pride in what they have accomplished. We benefit from their generosity and tours of the site and discounts on good will. Thank you to all who have given the most important gift any of us has to give – time. most of our programs as well as in our gift shop. Chris Owens Executive Director Thank you to our Volunteers Over fifty student-volunteers from the Fairmount Park Historic Philadelphia University’s School of Preservation Trust spent many Architecture and Design worked summer weekends scraping and with the Fairmount Park Historic painting the Visitor Center’s porch Preservation Trust to scrape, paint railing. and scrub many of our shutters, Since the summer we have also doors and fences on the University’s welcomed volunteer groups from September 17th Day or Service. The students provided hours of manual Greater Philadelphia Cares, Scraping the shutters at 208 labor that would have otherwise Summerbridge, Episcopal Academy, taken weeks. An additional group of Penn Charter, Green Street Friends and Friends Select. 25 students worked with Fairmount Park’s Volunteer Coordinator, David Thank you to the Fairmount Park Bower, to weed our twenty-five Historic Preservation Trust, David acres. Bower and all of our volunteers for their countless hours or work and Prior to the Day of Service, Nathan assistance. Algie, an independent volunteer with Cleaning the Homestead shutters Weeding the barn fence Education Program Historic A Taste Receives RittenhouseTown of History grants Board of Directors airs on PBS Between June and July of 2009 President Chef Walter Staib’s cooking show, A RittenhouseTown’s education Edward W. Duffy Taste of History, began airing on program received multiple grants. Vice President PBS in November. Many episodes Both the Ludwick Foundation and were filmed at RittenhouseTown Frederic W. Clark, Esq. Skilling Foundation have once again and feature our original Bake supported our fall Sponsor-A-School Treasurer House. An episode dedicated solely program, an initiative that Charlotte H. Biddle to RittenhouseTown is slated to air eliminates all program fees and Secretary in early 2010. transportation costs for Philadelphia J. M. Duffin The production team for A Taste of public schools. Thanks to their Directors support, we were able to maintain History is currently conducting Gerry L. Davis the recent increase in public school research on David Rittenhouse to Jerry Flatland students served annually. be included in new episodes Ellen L. Goodwin scheduled to film next year. For While the costs to administer the David C. Hamme more information about the show general education program continue Leigh Hassler visit www.atasteofhistory.org. to rise, we strive to maintain the Anne B. Hagele program’s financial accessibility by James Nelson Kise DVDs of the episodes that have actively seeking grant support. The David R. Knapton already aired are now available in Barra Foundation has continued to Stephen L. Kurtz our gift shop. We also carry Chef help us maintain our low $5-$10 Monica Letzring Staib’s most recent cookbook, admission fee by approving our Elizabeth T. Lukens Recipes from the Birthplace of grant request for general education Louise B. McCabe American Cuisine along with an older book of 18th century dessert funds. Mary Rittenhouse-Schwartzentruber Paul Rittenhouse, Sr. recipes. You may purchase these Thank you to these foundations for Joseph W. Rogers, Jr. items by visiting RittenhouseTown their continued support of our Philip Scott or through our website’s online gift education program. Mark S. Stewart, Esq. shop. Compass collector’s association visits rittenhousetown On June 19, the Compass are believed to have been used in Collector’s Association of America some of the 18th century’s most along with special guests from the important surveying projects. American Philosophical Society and David Rittenhouse was born in Atwater Kent Museum visited RittenhouseTown’s 1707 Home- RittenhouseTown to view our 1760 stead and was considered one of Benjamin Rittenhouse compass, its the most important surveyors of coupler and accompanying wooden Jeff Lock examines the Benjamin The Association and other guests stand 18th century America. Rittenhouse compass in front of the Rittenhouse Homestead staff. Both pieces are very rare and Page 2 An Evening in celebration of david rittenhouse Continued from page 1 Professor Delbourgo is the author of A Most Amazing Scene of Wonders: The menu for the event was designed by Electricity and Enlightenment in Early our friend Chef Walter Staib of City America (Harvard, 2006), and co-editor Tavern and catered by Feast Your Eyes of both Science and Empire in the Catering. The food was served in an 18th Atlantic World (Routledge, 2008), and -century, family-style manner similar to The Brokered World: Go-Betweens and what David may have experienced when Global Intelligence, 1770-1820 (Science dining at City Tavern. Items served History Publications, 2009). He has included Thomas Jefferson’s sweet written several articles on early modern potato pecan biscuits and West indies science, colonial history and the curried lamb pie. Yards Brewing Enlightenment. Company generously donated their Ales of Revolution and City Tavern donated This event would not have been possible Students from the Curtis Institute of Music entertain guests during the cocktail hour. Special thanks to Urban the wine and champagne. Students from without the support of our guests and Engineers for their support of the music. the Curtis Institute provided the music planning committee. We look forward to which was underwritten by a generous another 25 years of preserving and donation from Urban Engineers. protecting our National Historic Landmark District. James Delbourgo, Associate Professor of American History at Rutgers University Please save the date for our next and our keynote speaker, discussed fundraiser on June 3, 2010, the focus of David Rittenhouse and his contributions which will be the circa 1811 Jacob to the American Enlightenment. Rittenhouse Home at RittenhouseTown. Planning Committee James Nelson Kise , Chair* Elizabeth T. Lukens* Jeremy J. Alvarez Martha Hamilton Morris Charlotte H. Biddle* Sarah D.