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Recent Posts
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Fox Lake: remnants of a Berks County Summer Community
Read more: Fox Lake: remnants of a Berks County Summer CommunityBefore Blue Marsh there was Fox Lake Before Blue Marsh Lake was even a thought, Fox Lake was a small man-made lake along the Spring Creek right before it merged with the Tulpehocken Creek in North Heidelberg Township. It was a popular summer destination in…
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Was Reading’s U.S.S. Maine Anchor a hoax?
Read more: Was Reading’s U.S.S. Maine Anchor a hoax?Most are aware that Reading has a U.S.S. Maine Anchor which sits at 11th and Washington Streets in City Park, yet few know of the tumultuous process in which it was dedicated here. A quick history recap: the U.S.S. Maine sunk after it suffered an…
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Twenty Twenty-Three: Year in Review
Read more: Twenty Twenty-Three: Year in ReviewThe video above depicts some of my best drone shots of 2023. For fun, give it a watch and see if you can name any of the locations or where they were shot from. Some are easier than others! Thank you all so much for…
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Summit House Hotel & Gravity Tower
Read more: Summit House Hotel & Gravity TowerSummit House Hotel The Summit House Hotel was once a popular destination along the Gravity Railroad on Mount Penn. Construction of the building began in the summer of 1891. The first mention of the establishment in the Reading Times was on August 7th, 1891 when…
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Mansion House Hotel – Penn Square
Read more: Mansion House Hotel – Penn SquareOn the southeast corner of 5th and Penn in Reading used to sit the Mansion House Hotel. Its foundation dated back to the late 1700s – the site of the first hotel ever constructed in the city. The Mansion House was once Reading’s largest and…
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Dr. Joseph A. Zook – Morgantown’s resident physician
Read more: Dr. Joseph A. Zook – Morgantown’s resident physicianI came across this photo in PA’s power library digital archives. It was simply labeled J.A. Zook Morgantown, and portrays a young family standing outside their home. I have taken to enhancing and colorizing old images lately in an attempt to bring the past closer…
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Colonial Trust Company Building
Read more: Colonial Trust Company BuildingThe Colonial Trust Company was established in May 1900. It was formed by a handful of local capitalists including the likes of William McIlvain, John Barbey, Frank Lauer, E. W. Alexander, B. F. Owen, S.B. Keppel, Walter Rigg, and Howard Saylor. They opened for business…
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Peak Fall Foliage and Website Updates
Read more: Peak Fall Foliage and Website UpdatesHappy Election day! As you may have noticed there have been some big changes to the website. Instead of going directly to the blog, I have created a landing page at BerksNostalgia.com which I think more accurately reflects the scope in which I currently provide…
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The Abandoned Daniel Lorah Homestead
Read more: The Abandoned Daniel Lorah HomesteadDaniel Lorah was born on December 9th, 1810 in Amityville. He purchased parcels of land in Lower Heidelberg Township beginning in 1848 to create his estate. The home was constructed shortly after, as the Lorah family consisting of Daniel, wife Anna, children Calvin, Mahlon and…
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How Stoneman Willie broke into the global spotlight and took me with him
Read more: How Stoneman Willie broke into the global spotlight and took me with himAs I sit here reflecting on the week and everything that has transpired I can think of only one word: whirlwind. It was only seven days ago that I was flying my drone on Penn Square, capturing Reading’s 275th anniversary parade when I ran into…
