Sophia Rittenhouse

A praiseworthy sampler worked circa 1820 in Montgomery County, just outside of Philadelphia, this was made by a member of the renowned Rittenhouse family. Sophia Rittenhouse was born October 10, 1807, the daughter of David Rittenhouse Sr. and Rachel (Zimmerman) Rittenhouse. 

The Rittenhouse family in America began in 1668, when Wilhelm Rittenhausen came to Philadelphia from Germany. His forefathers had been engaged in the paper mill business and within two years of his arrival, Wilhelm acquired land on the Wissahickon Creek. Soon after, he erected a paper mill, establishing the first one in America. The most famous member of the Rittenhouse family is David Rittenhouse (1732-1796), the celebrated astronomer and clockmaker. And, of course, Rittenhouse Square, the finest city park in Philadelphia, is named for the family. 

Sophia’s father, David, was a farmer who operated a successful ferry business, also created the Schuylkill Navigation Company. David and Rachel had seven children, with Sophia being their fifth. She was named for her paternal grandmother, Sophia (Earnhard) Rittenhouse. In 1838, in Whitemarsh, Montgomery County, Sophia married John Shannon (1811-1848) and they had three children. After John’s death, she married Henry Priest and she died in 1895. 

Because the Rittenhouse family is so very significant, the file that accompanies this sampler contains photocopies from many sources including Historical Sketches  A Collection of Papers Prepared for the Historical Society of Montgomery County Pennsylvania (Norristown, PA, 1900), Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1895), and other publications.  

The sampler shares characteristics with other very good Montgomery County samplers - the very graceful undulating vine border with these specific leaves and flowers, as well as the stylized enclosure that contains the verse. Some of the motifs originated with Quaker school patterns, another characteristic of Pennsylvania samplers. 

The double-chimney Federal house features a low-hipped roof worked in long white satin stitches, a lovely contrast to the pale bricks and deep green windows. At the far left of the lawn sits a beeskeep.

The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a gold leaf frame.