Rittenhouse Gap, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Rittenhouse Gap is the name of a village in Longswamp Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
, at 40°28′04"N 75°37′47"W.
The gap which gives the town its name lies between the headwaters of Swabia Creek
, in the Lehigh River
watershed, and an unnamed tributary of the Perkiomen Creek
, in the Schuylkill River
watershed. Gap Hill lies along its northwestern side.
The village is located at the northeastern end of the gap, around the source of Swabia Creek. The Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad
was extended to the village in 1865, to carry magnetite
from the mines in the vicinity, largely owned by the Thomas Iron Company
. These mines were among those selected by Thomas Edison
for experiments in magnetic beneficiation
of iron ore, by which he hoped to make iron mining in the northeastern US cost-effective. The availability of cheap Mesabi Range
ore defeated his plans, and the mines and railroad were abandoned after World War I
. The geological origins of the deposits have been the subject of recent research.
With the closing of the iron mines, the community lost its principal support. It now lies at the head of the Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area
and uses the Macungie
zip code
of 18062.
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, at 40°28′04"N 75°37′47"W.
The gap which gives the town its name lies between the headwaters of Swabia Creek
Swabia Creek
Swabia Creek, a tributary of Little Lehigh Creek, is a creek located in Berks and Lehigh Counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States.- Source :...
, in the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
watershed, and an unnamed tributary of the Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.Perkiomen Creek begins in Hereford Township, Berks County, initially flows eastward into Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, and turns southward to reenter...
, in the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
watershed. Gap Hill lies along its northwestern side.
The village is located at the northeastern end of the gap, around the source of Swabia Creek. The Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad
Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad
The Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad was built in the 1850s to transport iron ore from local mines in Lehigh and later Berks County to furnaces along the Lehigh River...
was extended to the village in 1865, to carry magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
from the mines in the vicinity, largely owned by the Thomas Iron Company
Thomas Iron Company
The Thomas Iron Company was a major iron-making firm in the Lehigh Valley from its organization in 1854 until its decline and eventual dismantling in the early 20th century. The firm was named in honor of its founder, David Thomas, who had emigrated to the United States in 1839 to introduce hot...
. These mines were among those selected by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
for experiments in magnetic beneficiation
Beneficiation
In mining, beneficiation is a variety of processes whereby extracted ore from mining is separated into mineral and gangue, the former suitable for further processing or direct use....
of iron ore, by which he hoped to make iron mining in the northeastern US cost-effective. The availability of cheap Mesabi Range
Mesabi Range
The Mesabi Iron Range is a vast deposit of iron ore and the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota. Discovered in 1866, it is the chief deposit of iron ore in the United States. The deposit is located in northeast Minnesota, largely in...
ore defeated his plans, and the mines and railroad were abandoned after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The geological origins of the deposits have been the subject of recent research.
With the closing of the iron mines, the community lost its principal support. It now lies at the head of the Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area
Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area
Bear Creek is a ski resort near Macungie, in the Berks County region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. The resort opened in 1967. It was known as the Doe Mountain until 1999....
and uses the Macungie
Macungie, Pennsylvania
Macungie is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the second oldest borough in the county and a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.-History:...
zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 18062.