©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Historic RittenhouseTown plans day to show off “best kept secret”

Visitors to Historic RittenhouseTown learn about colonial-style cooking.

The people who run Historic RittenhouseTown along the Wissahickon Creek in Germantown decided they needed some exposure. After all, did you know that it is the site of America’s first paper mill, founded in 1690?

So, they drew up plans for a day of family fun, set for 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 24, with the notion of introducing the public to what they say is one of the city’s best kept secrets. This is your chance to check out those buildings on Lincoln Drive you’ve wondered about as you motor past on your way home from work. (In fact, those buildings make up a National Historic Landmark District.)

But the day won’t be limited to poking around old buildings. A variety of activities are planned for all ages. There will be interactive, hand papermaking and demonstrations of colonial cooking. Archeologist Rebecca Yamin will offer tours of the site, including one on its the archeological heritage.

All in all, the day will present a great opportunity to see the exhibits at RittenhouseTown, including a working model of an 18th century paper mill and an exhibit on the history of Blue Bell Hill. You are invited to bring a a lunch; picnic tables will be available and light refreshments will be served. And if it’s raining, don’t worry. The staff at RittenhouseTown will be ready for you, rain or shine.

Historic RittenhouseTown is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration, preservation and interpretation of the site, in the Northwest section of Fairmount Park. The main entrance is on Wissahickon Avenue, between Lincoln Drive and Walnut Lane.

In addition to the Family Fun Day, Historic RittenhouseTown offers interactive colonial German cooking, hand papermaking and historical interpretive tours for groups throughout the year. In the summer, RittenhouseTown hosts a series of Paper Art Workshops and the Visitor Center is open to the public for historical interpretive tours on weekends. For more information, visit the Web site at www.rittenhousetown.org or call 215-438-5711.