William Rittenhouse: ministry and papermaking

William Rittenhouse was born in Germany in 1644 and learned papermaking after becoming a citizen of Amsterdam. His family crossed to New York during the 1680s and later moved to Germantown. In 1690 he helped establish the first paper mill in the American colonies, carrying a European craft into the community’s new home.

He also became the first Mennonite preacher in America. The exhibit cautiously places his selection possibly as early as 1690; that qualification is retained rather than turning an uncertain appointment into a precise date. His story links daily work, migration, and care for a gathered church. He died in 1708, the year Germantown Mennonites built their first log meetinghouse.