This year’s Independence Day may look and feel a bit different—no big fireworks displays, parades or parties. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate our nation’s biggest day in a big way! Don your red, white and blue, crank up the A/C and raise a glass to American history, all without leaving your The Isle apartment.

Philly has lots of historic neighborhoods but one you may not have heard of is Historic Rittenhouse Town, nestled in the Wissahickon Valley Park, just 2.5 miles from your The Isle apartment. But, you can enjoy many of the entertaining educational opportunities right from the (cool!) comfort of home.

If you’ve never been to Historic Rittenhouse Town, here’s a little background: The area dates to 1690, when British colonists built the budding nation’s very first paper mill in the lush countryside that our area used to be. The mill fueled development in the area and the building and the several others that were built on the surrounding property were witnesses to some of the nation’s most important moments, including the Revolutionary and Civil wars. And amazingly, nearly 350 after the mill was first built, six of the original buildings remain standing.

The “town” has been restored to its colonial-era beginnings and the buildings will soon be back open for tours and programming. Until then, log onto the Rittenhouse Town website to learn all you need before a visit. Explore photos of each of the properties and learn about their history. You can also take a crash course on what started it all: papermaking. Learn about the craft and how it has evolved over the centuries since the town was founded. If you really want some hands-on education, you can even order a loaner paper-making kit from Rittenhouse Town to try it all for yourself at home.

So this July 4^th, embrace our newly virtual world and the history behind the holiday!

Historic Rittenhouse Town

208 Lincoln Drirve

Parkland, PA 19144

215-438-5711