In 1900, railroad tycoon Alexander Cassatt and his wife, Lois Buchanan Cassatt, built on the site. The building was sold to the Episcopal Church of Pennsylvania and was made into their headquarters. It later became a private school called the Academy of Notre Dame. In the 1960s, the property was slated to become a hotel.
Architect Donald Reiff drew the plans for the Rittenhouse. Construction began in the early 1970s. After more than a decade of construction, the hotel opened its doors to guests in 1989.[2] The design featured views of Rittenhouse Square, angling the windows to offer each room a direct view of the square below. Much of the hotel’s original design is still intact. It has been renovated and modernized since then, most recently in 2019.[3]
