The Grand Opera House Theatre
In 1871 the West Reading Market House was erected on the south side of Penn below Fourth Street, extending in the rear to Cherry Street. The directors of the Market House Company, headed by [...]
The Lyric Theatre
In 1910, Theodore Auman, J. George Kuersten, J. George Rick and Frank D. Hill built the "Lyric" theatre at 808-810 Penn Street. The theatre, seating 950, opened October 3, 1910, with a vaudeville policy, [...]
The Ritz Theatre
The small theatre, which once stood at 819 Penn Street, had various names over the years, including the Crescent, the Princess, and even the Arcadia for a short time after the original Arcadia theatre [...]
Temple Inn
The Temple Inn was erected in 1928 by Morris Sassaman as Penn Temple Hotel at the intersection of Kutztown Road and Fifth Street Highway. It had 25 rooms and two banquet halls. Sassaman sold [...]
Berks County Courthouse
Rising 19 stories or 275 ft., the county courthouse is the tallest building in Reading. The courthouse, located at the northeast corner of Sixth and Court Streets, was the only skyscraper and art-deco style [...]
Southeast Corner of Fifth and Penn Streets
On October 19, 1778 Mr. Hall sold the property located at the Southeast Corner of 5th & Penn Streets to Mark Bird. Mark Bird, of Birdsboro, conveyed the property to John Bishop, of Exeter. [...]
Featured series – Sin City
About GoReadingBerks
GoReadingBerks is a digital platform dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of Reading and Berks County, Pennsylvania. Through carefully curated articles, vintage photographs, and in-depth research, it explores the region’s past—from its industrial heritage and architectural landmarks to its cultural traditions and community stories.
