17 03, 2024

Rosenbaum Clothier and Hatter – 700-702 Penn Street, Reading, PA

2024-03-17T13:54:22-04:00March 17th, 2024|Businesses-Industry, Uncategorized|0 Comments

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 [...]

11 03, 2024

The Loew’s Colonial Theatre – Reading, PA

2024-03-11T07:54:21-04:00March 11th, 2024|Theaters-Drive-Ins, Uncategorized|0 Comments

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, [...]

1 07, 2022

Independence Island along the Schuylkill River

2022-07-01T11:24:41-04:00July 1st, 2022|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Independence Island along the Schuylkill River

On the west side of the Schuylkill River above the Bingaman Street Bridge sits an island with a narrow channel separating it from the shore that has been lost to the test of time. The little island near the foot of Bingaman St., [...]

9 02, 2022

Reading, PA, The Good Times and the Bad

2022-02-10T16:45:55-04:00February 9th, 2022|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Reading, PA, The Good Times and the Bad

I was fortunate enough to grow up in the city of Reading before it lost its small town feel to the outside world. I was born in 1968 so I was able to experience the good throughout the 70s and 80s before Reading [...]

24 12, 2021

Christmas was Different here 100 years ago

2022-11-21T10:07:08-04:00December 24th, 2021|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Christmas was Different here 100 years ago

City fathers 100 years ago were screaming about the double parkers on Penn Street, and citing a city parking ordinance prohibiting the parking of a vehicle in front of any hotel, hospital, church or public building. In 1922, most of the shoppers came [...]

16 07, 2021

Fire Companies and Penn Street, Reading, PA

2021-07-16T02:08:21-04:00July 16th, 2021|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Fire Companies and Penn Street, Reading, PA

The tradition of the fire truck parade on Penn Street dates back to the turn of the 20th century. It is not known exactly when these parades began on a regular basis. However, they may have started with the tradition of driving a [...]

18 01, 2021

Rajah Theatre – Santander Performing Arts Center

2021-06-04T12:07:30-04:00January 18th, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments

In July of 1870, workers began to erect a building at 135 North Sixth Street which was to contain a market house and Masonic Temple. However,  the panic of 1873 - 74 prevented completion so the property was sold by the sheriff to [...]

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