6 06, 2020

Southeast Corner of Third and Penn Streets

2020-06-06T21:40:50-04:00June 6th, 2020|Businesses-Industry|0 Comments

The buildings at the southeast corner of 3rd and Penn Streets, presented the above appearance, when, in 1825, Daniel Graeff moved his family and dry goods and grocery store into the corner building (No.1). His previous location was on the south side of [...]

5 06, 2020

John Nolen – The Future City of Reading Pennsylvania

2020-07-05T18:16:49-04:00June 5th, 2020|People, Towns-Wards|0 Comments

John Nolen (1869–1937) was the first American to identify himself exclusively as a town and city planner. Nolen was orphaned as a child and placed in Girard College. After he graduated first in his class in 1884, he worked as a grocery clerk [...]

5 06, 2020

Richards’ Toy Corner Reading, PA

2020-06-05T08:40:58-04:00June 5th, 2020|Christmas, Holiday|0 Comments

Richards' toy corner, located on the northeast corner of Front and Buttonwood, was probably the largest store devoted to toys ,year round, in the city. No "youngster" of whatever age, passing by 101 Buttonwood Street, could resist the enormous temptation to go inside [...]

4 06, 2020

Replica of Carpenters’ Hall, Reading, PA

2023-05-24T13:49:04-04:00June 4th, 2020|Businesses-Industry|0 Comments

Located at the Southwest corner of 8th and Penn Streets in Reading, PA is a building patterned architecturally after Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, PA. The building, erected in 1929 by the Penn National Bank and Trust Co. on the site of its former [...]

4 06, 2020

Modernization and Urban Renewal of Penn Street, Reading, PA

2020-06-04T18:56:40-04:00June 4th, 2020|Businesses-Industry, Towns-Wards|0 Comments

In the 1930s Reading, Pennsylvania, was a medium-sized city of 111,000 inhabitants. As the seat of Berks County, Reading was the social, political, and economic focus for the predominantly agricultural communities that surrounded it. It was also a faultless embodiment of Main Street, [...]

4 06, 2020

Reading City Park – Penn’s Common

2020-06-07T16:36:41-04:00June 4th, 2020|Landmarks, Nature & Outdoors|0 Comments

Film of City Park, Penn's Common, 1929 showing old bandstand and prison. Water-Works, Prison, and Fairgrounds Reading City Park at the head of Penn Street was set apart as early as 1749 by John and Richard Penn as public commons that [...]

3 06, 2020

Northwest Corner of Fifth and Washington Streets

2020-06-03T01:21:05-04:00June 3rd, 2020|Hotels, Landmarks|0 Comments

Michael Brecht, (1732-1814), the third son of an emigrant, came to Reading in January 1752, the year Berks County was established, and built a simple dwelling on lot No. 391 as stipulated in the land patent of July 16, 1752. The lot, 60 [...]

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