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 [...]
Frederick Lauer Mansion – Reading, PA
In 1891, George Frederick Lauer, chairman of the Lauer Brewing Co., erected an elegant mansion which fronted on South Third, [...]
Ferdinand Winter Residence – 900 Centre Avenue
Ferdinand Winter, who for many years was a well-known business man of Reading, and a member of the leather [...]
James Hervey Sternbergh – Reading Bolt and Nut Works
The Reading Bolt and Nut Works was a plant extending over some eight acres of land, lying between Third [...]
Historical Books of Reading, PA and Berks County
A rare of collection of historical books of Reading, PA and Berks County. Searchable text PDF documents - full [...]
Reading, PA: A Slovak Christmas
Around 1880, the first Slovaks arrived in Reading, PA. They came from Saris, Spis and Zemplin, areas in Czechoslovakia, [...]
Plan Mix-up: Post Office designed for a Southern City
After glancing at the old Post Office at the Southeast corner of 5th and Washington Streets you may realize [...]
History of the former Bachman Pretzel Company
The Bachman story starts in Reading, Pennsylvania, with a young immigrant baker named Joseph S. Bachman. Joseph was born [...]
West Reading Town Plan
In 1864, Frederick R. Frill purchased from William Leinbach a farm of 116 acres. In 1873, he laid this [...]
Penn View Motel, West Reading
The Penn View Motel, located on the block between 2nd and 3rd Streets on Penn Avenue in West Reading, [...]
Nolen Favored Grouping of Public Buildings
The original public building in Reading stood in the center of Penn Square, directly at the intersection of Penn [...]
Seashore Mansion of William H. Luden
William Henry Luden, developer of the menthol cough drop and founder of the Luden's company in Reading, PA, amassed [...]
Widow Finney’s Town – Reading, PA
Located at the Southwest corner of 4th and Cherry Streets in Reading are three distinct restaurants. Judy's on Cherry [...]
West Reading Hotel
Until 1964 the most familiar structure in West Reading was the West Reading Hotel on the north side of [...]
Southeast Corner of Third and Penn Streets
The buildings at the southeast corner of 3rd and Penn Streets, presented the above appearance, when, in 1825, Daniel [...]
John Nolen – The Future City of Reading Pennsylvania
John Nolen (1869–1937) was the first American to identify himself exclusively as a town and city planner. Nolen was [...]
Bern Township, Berks County
Bern Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Bern Township was settled in 1733, mostly by German farmers. [...]