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Recent Posts
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The Ranch House
Read more: The Ranch HouseA staple on Penn Avenue in West Lawn for nearly a half century, the owners of the Circle S Ranch House announced on March 30th that they would be closing permanently on April 8th, 2022. The building was built in 1969 as a Schell’s. It…
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The Haag Hag – Mt. Penn’s Mysterious Maiden
Read more: The Haag Hag – Mt. Penn’s Mysterious MaidenIt was once a beautiful mountain resort nestled atop Mount Penn, right off of Hill Road. In the late 1800’s when the popularity of the Gravity Railroad was in full swing, Sphuler’s Hotel was a very popular winery and also served as lodging for those…
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Reading Railroad sold to Conrail – On this Day 1976
Read more: Reading Railroad sold to Conrail – On this Day 1976On this day in 1976, the ownership of the monopoly-board famous Reading Railroad was changed to ConRail. They purchased Reading Co. and other seven other rail lines which were in bankruptcy. At the time of sale, Reading Co. operated on 66% of Pennsylvania’s tracks. A…
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Five Years
Read more: Five YearsHard to believe I launched this site half a decade ago today. As with any milestone it is time to reflect on the past five years of how my content has transformed and grown. There are currently over 7000 of you following along between email…
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Stokesay Castle
Read more: Stokesay CastleStokesay Castle has been a staple of formal dining and event space in Berks for a long time. But how does an old English castle end up nestled in the woods of Mount Penn, of all places? You have probably heard in passing that the…
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503 Penn Street
Read more: 503 Penn StreetThe building located at 503 Penn Street in its footprint dates back to the 1800s and has hosted numerous businesses over the proceeding centuries. In 2016 this building was purchased by Weidenhammer Systems Corp and redeveloped by Muhlenberg Greene Architects. In 1872 there was a…
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C.K. Whitner’s Department Store
Read more: C.K. Whitner’s Department StoreOn December 2nd 1980 management announced that the 103 year old C.K. Whitner’s Department store located on the 400 block of Penn Street would be shuttering permanently in January of 1981. Declining foot traffic downtown was cited as the reason why the business was no…
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Bernhard Adam Cemetery
Read more: Bernhard Adam CemeteryTucked into a hill in West Reading is a quiet little cemetery that few know about. Bernhard Adam Cemetery was established in 1744, making it one of the oldest in Berks County. Originally on the site was also a small stone meeting house, allegedly the…
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West Shore Bypass New Exchanges – 1963
Read more: West Shore Bypass New Exchanges – 1963On this day in the Reading Eagle – 1963 Traffic is rolling over the newly opened West Shore Bypass. Several motorists commented on the time saved in using the new road. One reported reaching the center of Reading from the bypass junction at the Philadelphia…
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On this Day – Dec 1st 1984
Read more: On this Day – Dec 1st 1984A fire rips through the building at 527 Penn Street destroying a photography studio on the upper floors which caved into Ciao Restaurant, a pizza shop, on the main level.
