At the turn of the twentieth century, the tract locals knew as Kemp’s Grove (also Kemp’s Woods) was the last substantial remnant of old-growth hardwoods in and around Kutztown—dominated by venerable white oaks that had shaded Sunday-school picnics and family gatherings for decades. [...]
In the woodlands south of Reading, Pennsylvania, the landscape around French Creek tells two quintessentially American stories. One is the 18th–19th-century tale of Hopewell Furnace—an industrial community of ironmasters, colliers, founders, and teamsters who helped forge a young nation. The other is the [...]
Hawk Mountain Council, BSA—serving Berks and Schuylkill counties and the Panther Valley region of Carbon County—stands as a local expression of a national movement. Formed in 1970 by the consolidation of the Daniel Boone Council (Reading/Berks) and the Appalachian Trail Council (Schuylkill/Carbon), its [...]
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 [...]
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 Reading Council, which would in time become the Daniel Boone Council, was established in March 1916, when Woodrow Wilson was president and World War I was underway in Europe. The United States would enter the war the following year, three years after [...]
Eleventh and Pike Playground was purchased from George D. Horst in 1928 for $100,000. Prior to the purchase, the George Horst Playground was used for ball games. The fence and grandstand were torn down and the site used for ordinary play purposes in [...]
On the morning of July 5, 1904, 200 children waited in the hot morning sun outside the gates of the large yard of what dad been “House of the Good Shepherd” at 4th and Pine Streets. Finally, at 8:30, the gates were opened [...]
In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration began the construction of an amphitheater on Mt. Penn. The theater, of stone and mason work, is located on List Road, near the present Camps Lily but it has since been overgrown. Below: Approximate location of [...]
The Tulpehocken Creek Valley Parkway is a long linear park situated along the Tulpehocken Creek. This parkway along the stream incorporates several area parks including Stonecliffe, The Leisure Area, Gring’s Mill, Red Bridge Park, and The Heritage Center. Each park is distinct with [...]
