During the Gilded Age, Rittenhouse Square was home to
Philadelphiaas high society, with more millionaires per square foot
than any other American neighborhood except New Yorkas Fifth
Avenue. Established by William Penn in 1682 as the South-West
Square and renamed after astronomer David Rittenhouse in 1825,
Rittenhouse Square and its environs changed from an isolated
district of brickyards and workersa shanties into the cityas most
elegant and elite neighborhood between 1845 and 1865. The
brownstone and marble mansions on the square itself were inhabited
by the cityas wealthiest and most prestigious families, with names
like Biddle, Cassatt, Drexel, Stotesbury, and Van Rensselaer. As
Philadelphiaas upper classes fled to the suburbs in the early 20th
century, their mansions were replaced by skyscrapers or taken over
by cultural institutions like the Philadelphia Art Alliance and the
Curtis Institute of Music. While only a few original residences
remain on Rittenhouse Square, it is still the center of a lively
upscale neighborhood.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!