The first industries in Muhlenberg Township developed in Temple. The Mount Laurel Furnace for the manufacture of iron began in 1836 on Mount Laurel Road. Built in 1836 by John Bertolet, Mayberry Bertolet and Francis Palm, Mount Laurel typified the small, standard charcoal [...]
In 1904, Dr. Levi Mengel, a science teacher at the Reading School District, sought permission from the district to purchase scientific and anthropological materials to aid in his vision of providing a "sensory education" to motivate his students to participate and to enrich [...]
The city of Reading is bounded on the west by the Schuylkill River, on the east by Mount Penn, and on the south by Neversink Mountain. Overlooking the city on Mount Penn are two landmarks, a Japanese-style pagoda, and the William Penn Memorial [...]
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public relief program for unemployed men ages 18 to 24 to provide unskilled manual labor for conservation and development of natural resources beginning in 1933. President Roosevelt promoted the CCC for youth unable to find jobs [...]
The Neversink Reservoir sits adjacent to the 10th & South playground. The Neversink Reservoir was built in 1936 on just over 29 acres of land, which was acquired by the city in 1865 for $890. The cost of construction, including fixing the initial [...]
Bernhart's dam and lake has existed on an extensive Spring Valley acreage since 1796. The dam was originally constructed for a grist mill. John S. Bernhart acquired the mill tract in 1832. He enlarged the dam, built a new mill and then added [...]
The Horatio Trexler Mansion was built in 1869 in the French Second Empire style. The French Second Empire manner strove to imitate the French baroque elegance of the new architecture in Napoleon Ill's Paris. The small decorative porch to shelter callers - not for [...]
The handsome Staufer Building, located at the Northwest corner of Sixth and Franklin Streets, was erected by William M. Staufer in 1897 as a building for offices, apartments and an assembly hall. Many civic groups met here, including - at the turn of [...]
The roads that wind around Mount Penn to the Pagoda are lined with a stone wall that was built from 1932 to 1934. The original building of the wall was funded and constructed by the Federal government under the Administration of President Franklin [...]
The northwest corner property at Sixth and Penn Streets of former Outlot No. 8 of the original town plan of Reading was originally sold by the Penns in 1749 to John Epler. Two years later John’s brother Adam was listed as owner. In [...]
