In the 19th century, few retail establishments in Reading, Pennsylvania, captured the public imagination quite like Joseph O’Brien’s Golden Ball. Located on the south side of Penn Square between Fifth and Sixth Streets, the store became one of the city’s most distinctive shopping destinations, remembered for both its striking signage and its role as a fashionable emporium for women’s clothing and fabrics.
Location and Distinctive Sign
The Golden Ball was located at what is now No. 526 Penn Street, a building that carried layers of Reading’s mercantile past. Its most famous feature was a massive golden sphere—constructed of lathe and plaster—that jutted out above the sidewalk. Suspended over the shop entrance, this ball was admired by residents and visitors alike, and quickly became the identifying mark of the business. Prints from the era depict this eye-catching sign, which gave the establishment its enduring name.
The O’Brien Family Business
The O’Brien family were long prominent in Reading’s commercial scene. Joseph O’Brien first entered the dry goods trade under the partnership name O’Brien and Foster. Later, the business was reorganized as O’Brien and Beecher, operated by Thomas O’Brien and William Beecher. From this foundation, the O’Briens established their Golden Ball store, which rose to prominence along bustling Penn Street.
The family kept up with the latest fashions, importing silks, bombazines, and nankeens from Philadelphia and beyond. In a city still growing into its industrial identity, O’Brien’s shop offered a touch of cosmopolitan refinement.
A Fashionable Emporium
The Golden Ball quickly became known as a destination for ladies’ fashions and fine textiles. A later chronicler observed that it was the place “where our great grandmothers loved to buy silks and bombazines.” Its clientele was primarily women, who could rely on O’Brien’s to deliver the latest French and Philadelphia styles.
In this way, the Golden Ball not only met local needs but also connected Reading to broader national and international markets in fashion and trade.
Notable Residents and Later Owners
The Golden Ball building was more than just a store. Its upper stories were, at times, residential. Lawyer Samuel Baird, father of noted naturalist Spencer Fullerton Baird, once lived above the shop. Later, the property passed into the hands of Judge William Darling, reflecting the building’s position at the crossroads of Reading’s commercial and professional life.
Earlier still, before O’Brien’s venture, the property had served as the home of William Bell, an Irish merchant who came to Reading in 1785.
Legacy and Memory
By the late 19th century, the O’Brien family had faded from Reading’s business scene, remembered mainly through their once-bustling store and through the elaborate family tombs at Charles Evans Cemetery. The Golden Ball itself passed into local lore, a symbol of Penn Square’s lively retail history.
Though the business no longer survives, its story offers a glimpse into an era when Reading’s downtown was alive with distinctive shops and bold signage. The great golden sphere, hanging proudly above the sidewalk, became an emblem of the city’s mercantile spirit—one still recalled by those who cherish Reading’s past.
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