Dossier
David Rittenhouse
Coverage of David Rittenhouse in the Nexus archive.
- A planet, an observatory and the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence
On June 3, 1769, astronomers in Philadelphia observed the transit of Venus, with David Rittenhouse using a homemade telescope. The American Philosophical Society now houses his telescope, which is considered likely the first made in America.
- Philly helped start the paper industry in pre-Revolutionary America
Philadelphia's Germantown was home to the first U.S. paper mill, established by German immigrant William Rittenhouse in 1690. The mill supported early printing, newspapers, and religious materials, using recycled linen rags and water power. The industry expanded as other colonies adopted papermaking ahead of the Revolutionary War.