Changing Demographics and Revitalization
By 2045, the U.S. will be a majority minority nation. During that year, whites will comprise 49.7 percent of [...]
The Heritage of Reading: 1910-1940: New Annexations; the Automobile; the Suburbs; the Great Depression
By 1910 it was clear to Reading’s leaders that the biggest progress was quickly moving beyond the City limits. [...]
The Heritage of Reading: 1874-1910: The Height of Progress, Trollies, and the First Suburbs
Between the year in which Reading became a Third Class City and the year in which Reading’s prosperity is [...]
The Heritage of Reading: 1847—1874: Annexations: Industrial Expansion; the Building Industry
Development from the City Charter till 1874, when Reading received a new charter and became a City of the [...]
The Heritage of Reading: 1813-1847: Canals, Heavy Industry, and the Railroad
The town of Reading was chartered as a borough by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1783, and granted a [...]
The Heritage of Reading: 1745 -1813: Original topography and the Town Plan
When Thomas Penn and his engineers were discussing the location and plan for the county seat of the proposed [...]
Bernhart’s Dam, Lake, and Park
Bernhart's dam and lake has existed on an extensive Spring Valley acreage since 1796. The dam was originally constructed [...]
John F. Boyer’s Old Reliable Stables
The oldest and largest establishment of its kind in this part of the State, Jno. F. Boyer’s old reliable [...]
Reading Beer Just Memory
In 1976, due to the rise of larger macro breweries, Reading Brewing Company ceased operations. The following article appeared [...]
Reading Brewing Company
The Reading Brewing Company was founded in 1886 by Philip Bessinger with a brewery at Ninth and Laurel streets [...]
Unusual job completed by textile craftsmen
November, 1931: Fashioned with wood, the work of Textile craftsmen is a beautiful miniature reproduction of the Reading Hospital [...]
Ancona’s School – Alsace Township
At the junction of Friedensburg Road and Old Spies Church Road, about a half-mile past the former Stony Creek [...]
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. [...]
Those Who Were Here Before Us
Three hundred years ago few Europeans lived in what we now call Berks County. At that time it was [...]
Read’s Department Store
Read’s Department Store was located on the northeast corner of 7th and Penn Streets. This imposing 3-story building was [...]
The Crucial Role of Berks County’s Germans in the American Revolution
When chronicling the American Revolution, the narrative often centers on the English-speaking patriots of Boston and Philadelphia. However, a [...]
George Washington slept here in 1794
President George Washington was once the city’s guest, on October 1, 1794, when he came here from Philadelphia and [...]
Model Cities Program
The Model Cities Program was an element of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society and War on Poverty. The concept [...]
Hamburg, Pennsylvania
The Borough of Hamburg, located in the northeastern section of Berks County, is sixteen miles north of Reading. The [...]
Birdsboro, Pennsylvania
Birdsboro owes its origin to pioneer William Bird who here established the first iron works in this section and [...]
Boy Scouts of America – The Reading and Reading-Berks County Councils
The Reading Council, which would in time become the Daniel Boone Council, was established in March 1916, when Woodrow [...]
