Rittenhouse Gap, Pennsylvania

Rittenhouse Gap is the name of a village in Longswamp Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, at 40°28′04″N 75°37′47″W / 40.46778°N 75.62972°W / 40.46778; -75.62972Coordinates: 40°28′04″N 75°37′47″W / 40.46778°N 75.62972°W / 40.46778; -75.62972.

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.^[1] 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.

External links

Geology of Rittenhouse Gap iron deposits

References

↑ Kulp, Randolph L., ed. (1962). History of Lehigh and New England Railroad Company. Lehigh Valley Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc. p. 70.

Mertztown

Longswamp

Red Lion, New Hensingersville

Henningsville

Seisholtzville

Rittenhouse Gap

District Township

Huffs Church

Municipalities and communities of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States

County seat: Reading

City	Reading

Boroughs	Adamstown‡ Bally Bechtelsville Bernville Birdsboro Boyertown Centerport Fleetwood Hamburg Kenhorst Kutztown Laureldale Leesport Lenhartsville Lyons Mohnton Mount Penn New Morgan Robesonia St. Lawrence Shillington Shoemakersville Sinking Spring Strausstown Topton Wernersville West Reading Womelsdorf Wyomissing

Townships	Albany Alsace Amity Bern Bethel Brecknock Caernarvon Centre Colebrookdale Cumru District Douglass Earl Exeter Greenwich Heidelberg Hereford Jefferson Longswamp Lower Alsace Lower Heidelberg Maidencreek Marion Maxatawny Muhlenberg North Heidelberg Oley Ontelaunee Penn Perry Pike Richmond Robeson Rockland Ruscombmanor South Heidelberg Spring Tilden Tulpehocken Union Upper Bern Upper Tulpehocken Washington Windsor

CDPs	Alleghenyville Alsace Manor Amity Gardens Baumstown Bethel Blandon Bowers Colony Park Dauberville Douglassville Dryville Edenburg Flying Hills Fox Chase Frystown Gibraltar Gouglersville Greenfields Grill Hereford Hyde Park Jacksonwald Kempton Kutztown University Lincoln Park Lorane Mertztown Mohrsville Montrose Manor Morgantown‡ Mount Aetna Muhlenberg Park New Berlinville New Jerusalem New Schaefferstown Oley Pennside Pennwyn Rehrersburg Reiffton Riverview Park Schubert Shartlesville South Temple Spring Ridge Springmont Stony Creek Mills Stouchsburg Temple Virginville Walnuttown West Hamburg West Lawn West Wyomissing Whitfield

Unincorporated communities	Albany Amityville Barto Basket Beckersville Berne Boyers Junction Breezy Corner Brownsville Cacoosing Chapel‡ Clayton Dale Earlville Dreibelbis Eagle Point Eckville Eshbach Evansville Five Points Fredericksville Fritztown Geigertown Greenawald Greenfield Manor Green Hills Grimville Hancock Harlem Henningsville Hinterleiter Host Huffs Church Jalappa Joanna Joanna Heights Kempville Kirbyville Knauers Krumsville Kulptown Landis Store Leinbachs Limekiln Lobachsville Longswamp Maiden Creek Manatawny Maple Grove Maxatawny Molltown Monocacy Station Montello Monterey Morysville Moselem Moselem Springs New Hensingersville‡ North Heidelberg Pikeville Pine Forge Pine Waters Pleasant Valley Pleasantville Plowville Pricetown Quaker City Rittenhouse Gap Sally Ann Scarlets Mill Seisholtzville State Hill Stony Run Trexler Tuckerton Unionville Vinemont Weavertown Windsor Castle Wintersville Woodchoppertown Wyomissing Hills Yellow House

Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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