Whitner's Department Store has a rich history, beginning in 1877 when Calvin K. Whitner, a farmer-turned-storekeeper, opened his first store in Reading at 432 Penn St. Despite initial doubts from local merchants, Whitner's enterprise flourished, growing from a modest establishment into one of [...]
The "Gate" is an outdoor metal sculpture by Robinson Fredenthal, commissioned by the Reading Redevelopment Authority for the North Sixth and Penn streets courtyard in the Downtown East Urban Renewal Area. It was assembled by Eastern Machine Products Inc. and involved a complex [...]
Penn Street for many years was a vibrant thoroughfare where people enjoyed shopping. Theaters, various types of commercial establishments, and public events attracted thousands to the occasionally crowded Penn Square. In addition to experiencing foot pain, consumers endured the nearly imperceptible ascent from Third [...]
In 1969, a $165,000 bond was put in place for the building of the Eric Theater near Allentown Pike and Elizabeth Avenue in Muhlenberg Township as part of the Madeira Mall tract. At first, it was a project of the Peach Development Co. [...]
In 1893, David Rosenbaum constructed one of Reading's most exquisite and ornamental structures. Mr. Rosenbaum moved to Reading in 1882 and purchased the property at 702 Penn Street and the southeast corner lot at Seventh and Penn Streets, where he founded his Clothier [...]
The Colonial Theatre, built by Carr and Schad in 1916 on the Breneiser property at 651–667 Penn Street between Ellis Mills and Hotel Allen, was the first premium movie house built "uptown." The film “Sleeping Fires,” starring Pauline Frederick, opened on April 15, [...]
The current Court Street Bridge was created as part of the Downtown East Urban Renewal Project. Construction of the bridge began in 1970 and was completed in 1971. The bridge was built as part of a plan to expand the traffic capacity of [...]
During the 1970s, there was an uncommon level of consensus in Reading politics; almost everyone agreed that downtown Reading was once the best location on Earth. Obviously, by that point, the downtown area had been transformed into parking lots as building after building had [...]
Special contribution by Local Historian "Sharon Merolli." The following is a description of the first and only parade of the Mummers’ Association in Reading on January 1, 1908, from various news articles by the Reading Eagle and Reading Times. On a crisp and [...]
Anyone traveling into West Reading across the Penn Street Viaduct has probably noticed at one time or another the large rock formation on the right against the exit ramp for motorists traveling West on the By-Pass into West Reading. The rock formation is [...]
