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Found this image in my family’s album, but no one seems to have a recollection of what, where or when this image was taken. It was likely taken in the late 60s/early 70s, and appears to be summertime by people’s apparel. It looks to be…
Below are Aerials shots from 1971, showing what Fifth street highway/Route 61/Kutztown Road looked like just north of the city. A few of the notable structures are the Reading Fairgrounds, Bellevue Diner, and Gethsemane Cemetery. The Warren Street Bypass was also noticeably not extended past…
Happy Hollow Park still sits tucked away in Wyomissing, though the swimming pool is no longer in existence. Happy Hollow was built with community bonds sold, and the land was donated by Henry Janssen and Thun, prominent owners of the Wyomissing Industries in 1910. The…
Take a look at how West Lawn and West Lawn Elementary School looked in 1932: The school looks like it was fairly new at the date of this photo, but I could not find an exact date of build. It sat at Riegel Ave and…
Harvey’s Hamburgers was located on the 1500 block of Lancaster Ave in Shillington, where Friendly’s parking lot now is. I could find no additional information about when this place opened or closed, so if you know, please leave a comment. Way before all the well…
The old red building was just demolished the other day, to make room for parking for what will be UGI’s new headquarters. Now is as good a time as any to take a look at it’s history, which encompasses over 100 years of use. What…
Furlow’s Food Market was located at 3940 Penn Avenue (then 542 Penn Ave) in Sinking Spring. It was owned by Rufus Furlow and Morton Heim. It was opened in late 1927 as the September 14th 1927 Reading Times clipping below foreshadows. I could not find a…
Two Guys was a discount store founded in 1946 by New Jersey brothers Sidney and Herbert Hubschman. This location in Shillington was constructed during the summer of 1962. The entire company went defunct by 1982, so I am guessing this store location shuttered sometime shortly…
There were once four Blockbuster Video locations in Berks County, one being the above on Route 724/Lancaster Pike in Shillington. The others were at 4860 Penn Ave in Sinking Spring near Redner’s Market, 3262 N 5th Street Highway in Muhlenberg Shopping Plaza, and 3985 Perkiomen Avenue…
Almost a year ago I did a then and now post on the Stitzer Apartments, located at the corner Penn Ave & Woodrow Ave. The building still exists and looks almost exactly the same, yet many stores have come and gone since the photo above…