Rittenhouse Square Nikon FM2 11/26/99 3:00pm   Historical Tidbits:

Rittenhouse Square is one of the original five designated for public use by William Penn. By the early eighteenth century, a law setting a five-shilling fine for shooting fowl on the streets of Philadelphia chased hunters to the "Governor's Woods," the present day square. Dirt from city streets was dumped in the woods for years, and pigs, chickens, and cows grazed through it. Brickmakers dug for clay and the resultant quarry holes turned into ponds. The ponds drew duck and geese. The area, as a result, was nicknamed Goosetown. In 1825, the public square was renamed in honor of David Rittenhouse, a Philadelphian who became America's first astronomer.* Public funds were collected to improve the square, which is now one of the most enjoyable and heavily used open spaces in Center City. Many events are held in the square, including a flower show and a clothesline art exhibition. The Rittenhouse Square area was a fashionable residential nieghborhood in the nineteenth century. Several mansions remain on the square, typical of the many that once surrounded it.**       * from Mermaids, Monasteries, Cherokees and Custer: the stories behind Philadelphia street names by Robert I. Alotta Bonus Books, Inc. ©Robert I. Alotta, 1990 ** from Philadelphia Architecture: A guide to the city ©1994 by the Foundation for Architecture

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