Berks Nostalgia

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Recent Posts

  • West Wyomissing House Relocation

    In the early 1970s (’70/’71) , houses were relocated  in West Wyomissing to make way to the future Route 222 to be built.  My mother was a kid living on Girard Avenue at the time, and remembers the houses from Reading Avenue and Cleveland being…

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  • Triangle Factory Outlets

    This interestingly shaped building is located at 1010 N. 9th Street, right where 8th and 9th streets split on the north end of the city. At one point it apparently held outlet stores. This was likely due to the close two block-proximity to the Reading…

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  • Berkshire Mall Clock

    The Berkshire Mall was opened in 1970, and had an interesting clock “tower” located In front of what was then a Rite Aid in the south wing of the mall. It was removed at some point, however the same benches remain.  Above you can see…

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  • Spring Street Subway

    In 1909, the city leaders celebrated with much fanfare the opening of the Spring Street Subway, a rail bridge that eliminated a dangerous Reading Railroad crossing – first for pedestrians and later for cars. The Reading Railroad was well established in the area before city…

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  • Doe Mountain Ski Area

    Winter is coming…which means the snow sports season is almost upon us. There is only one ski resort in Berks County, and it is currently known as Bear Creek. The resort opened in 1967 and it was known as the Doe Mountain until 1999, when…

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  • On this Day: October 20th, 1973

    Reading’s 7th Street isn’t really a street, it’s railroad tracks. And these railroad tracks will cut through the purposed Penn Mall. Edward Sulzberger, the proposed mall developer, has said he would prefer the tracks not be there but can live with them. Meanwhile, other redevelopment…

    Read more: On this Day: October 20th, 1973

  • Socialist Park in Sinking Spring

    Socialist Park, now known as Willow Glen Park, was created in 1929, under socialist Reading Mayor, J. Henry Stump. In it’s heyday, it boasted a dance hall, and a roller-skating rink.  Today, the park hosts large local events, including the Apple Dumpling Festival in June,…

    Read more: Socialist Park in Sinking Spring

  • 100 block Penn Ave: Before the Bypass

    We all have driven on route 422…the stretch of highway that runs past Reading and along the Schuylkill River down to Pottstown. This stretch of road did not always exist. In fact it wasn’t until the 1960s that US 422 in the Reading area was rerouted…

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  • Miss Shillington – 1958

    Came across this image of Miss Shillington and Miss Greater Reading standing next to an antique car. The image is from 1958, and taken in the parking lot of the Shillington Shopping Center. It appears to be some sort of antique car show going on…

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  • Fox North Theatre

    Opened as the Fox Theatre on 21, Aug. 1964 and  was located in the Muhlenberg Shopping Center on the 5th Street Highway (Rt.222), just north of Reading. The Fox Theatre was renamed the Fox North Theatre when Fox opened the Fox East Theatre on 3…

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Berks Nostalgia