Demolition is set to begin today on the city-owned building at 431 Penn Street, marking another chapter in Reading’s ongoing struggle with historic preservation and municipal mismanagement. Once a symbol of architectural grandeur, the structure—particularly its Beaux-Arts façade—has been left to decay under [...]
In the heart of Reading, Pennsylvania, the Astor Theater once stood as a beacon of architectural grandeur and cultural significance. Though the theater met its unfortunate demise years ago, pieces of its storied past have found their way into unexpected places, telling the [...]
The building at 431 Penn Street in Reading, PA, holds a rich history as part of the city's central business district. The façade of the building originally comes from the Reading News building, which was located at 22-24 North Fifth Street. The Reading [...]
The residences of the Muhlenberg brothers, Henry A. Muhlenberg, Jr. and Dr. Hiester H. Muhlenberg, at 401 and 403 Penn Street, were frequently referred to as "twin mansions." The region's expansion was significantly influenced by the Muhlenberg brothers, Hiester and Henry. Their residences, [...]
Theodore Ignatius Heizmann began the construction of St. Cecilia's Chapel in 1892-1893 in memory of his mother, Mary Cecilia Heizmann. Theodore Ignatius Heizmann was born in Reading Dec. 14, 1838. He attended the private schools of the city and later Mount St. Mary’s College, [...]
The triangular-shaped building at the intersection of 8th and 9th streets was once known as the Flatiron Building, although its original name was the Hotel Junction, with the address 1012 N. 9th St. Reading has a few of these triangular structures, but none with [...]
During the demolition of the Girls' High School at the corner of 4th and Court Streets in September 1961, Peter Zuk, president of Zuk Lumber & Demolition Co., Inc. of Belvidere, N.J., whose business had been hired to tear down the old school, received [...]
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 [...]
City advisors are currently collaborating with Benjiman Cammarano, a senior at Delaware Valley University majoring in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Science. Born and raised in Reading, PA, Benjiman has selected Bernhart's Dam as the focus of his senior Capstone project. The objective for Bernhart’s [...]
Reading City Council held a public meeting on Wednesday evening, May 31, about the removal of Bernhart’s Dam and to provide the public with the plan for the surrounding park. From collected samples, the PH of the water and the soil is consistently [...]
