Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia has been one of the most expensive neighborhoods in
the United States for nearly 150 years, but it doesn’t look anything like it once did.
Hi everyone, ken here, welcome to "ThisHouse"! Today we are exploring the lost neighborhood
of Philadelphia’s Millionaires Row.
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In the early 1800s, Philadelphia was expanding rapidly as the industrial revolution brought
tens of thousands of new jobs to the area.
The city began laying out parks in anticipation of a sprawling metropolis, one such park was
named Southwest Square, though it would soon be renamed to Rittenhouse Square in 1825 in
honor of David Rittenhouse, an esteemed astronomer and clock maker.
The park sat empty for years, until 1840 when James Harper, a wealthy brick manufacturer
and merchant took note of the city’s sprawl.
He predicted that by the turn of the century, Rittenhouse Square would be in the very center
of Philadelphia based on the rapid expansion of the city between rivers.
He purchased most of the land north of the park and constructed his limestone-clad city
mansion at 1811 walnut street.
His stately home set the scene for what was to come, the wealthiest neighborhood in the
city.
He began subdividing his property into large lots, and just as he predicted, wealthy residents
began moving in, each building larger and larger homes to face the park.
Joseph Harrison Junior, a successful engineer purchased one of the largest lots to construct
a massive limestone palace with a foot print of 75 by 198 feet.
Alexander Cassatt, Former President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was quick to build
a towering 4 story brownstone and fill it with his sister, Mary Cassatt’s, impressionist
paintings, making it one of the most culturally modern homes on the park.
Not to be outdone by his predecessor, the now current president of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, Thomas A Scott, purchased a corner lot to construct a 4 story brick house with
staggered terraces, offering scenic views of the developing skyline.
Now that the largest lots had all been claimed, the smaller ones began to fill in with thin
Italianate homes, such as that of Dr. John Shoemaker, a Professor of medicine who was
known to stay awake, keeping his study’s lights on until 3 am every night.
By this time, the most respectable of Philadelphia’s upper echelon all had homes in Rittenhouse
square, industrialists, doctors, and lawyers such as prominent attorney Philip Physick
whose 3 story house was constructed from marble.
But not all the residents were as well respected.
When William Weightman moved in, he owned the most realestate in the state, and upon
finding out his house would not be the largest, he commissioned architects to continue building
his house up until it at least appeared to be the largest.
All the whose whos wanted a slice of Rittenhouse park.
The sidestreets became increasingly crowded with row homes and apartments leaving no gaps
between them with some of the streets being only wide enough for a single horse and buggy
to traverse at a time.
With so many wealthy individuals, the city now had a demand for service, employing more
than 24,000 domestic servants to serve the grand homes of the upper class, most of whom
lived in the basements or attics of the homes they served.
Rittenhouse Square quickly became one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the United
States, so what happened?
Why doesn’t the park look like this anymore?
As we continue the story, we will look at side by side pictures of then and now in Rittenhouse
Square.
After the turn of the century, Rittenhouse Square continued to see wealthy families moving
in with improvement being made to the park, especially in 1913 when an aesthetic overhaul
was planned to adorn the park with elaborate balustrade, gates, and fountains.
The city around the park continued to boom economically, which brought more people to
live in the city.
By the end of world war 2, the city was becoming crowded and developers began building up instead
of out.
The central location of Rittenhouse square caused the now outdated mansions, many of
which did not include electricity, central heating, and in some cases, plumbing- to be
reconsidered.
The now vertical city needed additional space in the center of town for offices and apartments-
so developers began tearing down the mansions one by one, replacing them with high rises.
To this day, only a small handful of park-facing mansions survive tucked in the shadows of
high rises.
Among the surviving mansions, is the home of James Harper, the man who started the building
frenzy and set the tone for the neighborhood which continues to be one of the wealthiest
neighborhoods in the United States.
If you could go back in time and save one house, which one would you choose?
Let me know down below in the comments section.
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