In the early 1900’s only a few Italian families were to be found scattered throughout the City of Reading. But their number increased so rapidly that it soon became necessary to look after their spiritual needs and organize them into a congregation. In [...]
On June 10, 1874; the Reverend A.D. Filan of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Reading, bought from the Reading Railroad Company the property on which St. Joseph's Church is situated today. The lot was 100 feet front by 115 feet deep, and on [...]
Around 1880, the first Slovaks came to Reading from Saris, Spis and Zemplin, areas in Czechoslovakia, and later from Trencin, Orava and Nitra, also in Czechoslovakia. During their first years in Reading, they attended Mass at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, and then [...]
On Tuesday afternoon, June 30, 1981, commuters gathered at the Franklin Street Station to board one of the last trains making a run from Pottsville through Reading to Philadelphia waited patiently for the diesel to arrive. The trip would be their last on [...]
The Neversink Mountain Reservoir was built in 1936, on just over 29 acres of land, which was acquired by the city in 1865 for $890. The cost of construction, including fixing the initial leaks, was $202,000. The Reservoir is a flat spot on [...]
A skyline landmark in the southern section of the city, the steeples of St. Mary's Catholic Church rise above Twelfth and Spruce streets. Polish immigrants began arriving in Reading around 1850, seeking work and livelihood in the iron foundries here. The majority [...]
Catholic education was in its prime in the early 1960s. Overcrowding at Central Catholic High School and St. Peter’s High School necessitated the need for another High School. In 1961, Bishop Joseph McShea, of the newly created Allentown Diocese, inaugurated a massive building [...]
The Bavarian Beneficial Association was a German organization in the City of Reading organized May 29, 1887, with 50 members. Preliminary meetings were held at Bavarian Hall, 225 Penn Street. It was at first intended to be composed only of natives of Bavaria [...]
Perhaps the most widely known of the legends of the Schuylkill Valley is the romantic story of "Lover’s Leap." Near a high precipice along the banks of the river, there was once located an Indian village. The chief of that tribe had a [...]
During the Civil War, Scott Foundry, Reading, PA, tested army and navy cannons on the slope of Neversink Mountain. Near the proving grounds was a strong run of water that originated as a spring. Miniature water wheels were constructed and placed along the [...]
