Octagon Schoolhouse in Sinking Spring
Located off the northwest corner of Mull and Penn Avenue was an Octagon Schoolhouse - a true landmark in [...]
City Hall – Reading Pennsylvania
Reading City Hall, located at the northeast corner of 8th and Washington Streets, was formally dedicated on July 10, [...]
Fairgrounds Square Mall Redevelopment
The 750,000 sq ft Fairgrounds Square Mall was developed by Interstate Properties in the late 1970’s. Recognizing the potential [...]
Must Make City Loveable
If we would awaken love of our city and make it permanent, we must make our city lovely and [...]
Wyomissing Park – The Modern Garden Suburb of Reading
In 1913, the textile magnates Ferdinand Thun (1866-1949), Henry Janssen (1866-1948), and Gustav Oberlaender (1867-1936), formed the Wyomissing Development [...]
Penn Theatre – West Reading, Pennsylvania
In the summer of 1939, the Wilmer and Vincent theatre chain, purchased the Ruth estate at Sixth and Penn Avenues [...]
Majestic Theatre – Mount Penn
On November 10, 1939, Eugene Deeter bought a ticket to the show in the newly-opened Wilmer and Vincent theatre [...]
Trolleys of Reading and Berks County Pennsylvania
Electric lines came early in Berks, the East Reading Electric Railway enjoying the distinction of being one of the [...]
Sacred Heart Parish, West Reading
By the dawn of the 20th century Reading was undergoing notable industrial expansion. The lure of jobs brought significant [...]
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Swinging Bridge at Outer Station
In 1886, the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad (P&R) decided to provide a safe pedestrian route across its main line [...]
The Reading Station Outlet Center
Around 1992, 8 million people used to shop the Reading area outlets each year. People would drive from near [...]
Reading Central Catholic High School
In 1927, Rev. Theodore Hammeke, rector of St. Paul's Church, established St. Paul's Commercial School as a department of [...]
History of the Warren Street, West Shore, and Outer Bypasses
Warren Street was constructed around 1920, running from Fayette Street near the Tulpehocken Creek east to a dead end [...]
Hampden Park Reservoir
On April 11, 1882 a contract for constructing the Hampden Reservoir was awarded to Nolan & Bros. for the [...]
Old Iron Bridge Connecting Wyomissing and West Lawn
The old iron bridge which connected Wyomissing and West Lawn was built in 1925. Below: Photos showing the [...]
Wilhelm Mansion – The Inn at Centre Park
The property at 730 Centre Avenue, known as the Wilhelm Mansion, consists of two buildings, the mansion and the [...]
John Phillip Sousa, succumbed to death in Reading, PA
John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late [...]
Reading Railroad Massacre of 1877
The Reading Railroad massacre of July 23, 1877, in which ten people lost their lives, was the climax of [...]
Northeast Corner of Fifth and Washington Streets
From 1770 to 1847 the Berks County jail was located at the northeast corner of the Fifth and Washington [...]
Count Berthold von Imhoff
Count Berthold von Imhoff was a famous painter of religious art works. He was born Jan. 14, 1868, in [...]
Frederick Lauer Monument – Reading, PA
In 1823, George Lauer, father of Frederick Lauer, started in the business of manufacturing beer in limited quantities in [...]
