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Recent Posts
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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 1700s 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.
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Santa Lands a Helicopter in City Park – On this day in 1955
Read more: Santa Lands a Helicopter in City Park – On this day in 1955Happy Thanksgiving Berks Nostalgiacs! The holiday season is here, so here is a peek back to that time that Santa Claus flew a helicopter and landed it at City Park in Reading. It happened on this day, November 25th, 1955. Two little girls served as…
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Reading’s Christmas Balloon Parade – On this day in 1953
Read more: Reading’s Christmas Balloon Parade – On this day in 1953On this day, November 21st, 1953, over 50,000 gathered to watch the first ever Christmas balloon parade make its way down Penn Street in Reading. Public transportation was swamped, and it was reported that adults and children walked from as far as Wyomissing to see…
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Berks Beryllium Lands on Moon – On this day in 1969
Read more: Berks Beryllium Lands on Moon – On this day in 1969On November 14th 1969 the second crewed flight to the moon, known as Apollo 12, launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It successfully made contact with the moon on this day, November 19th 1969. When it landed, so did small but significant pieces from…
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Warren Street Bypass | 1959 and Today
Read more: Warren Street Bypass | 1959 and TodayBefore the Reading Motor Inn, or Berkshire Mall, there was sprawling farmland and a highway system that was still being integrated into the rural roads of Spring Township. On this day in 1959 the Warren Street Bypass reopened after the construction depicted below closed the…
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Dear Buyer: What makes a house a home?
Read more: Dear Buyer: What makes a house a home?What is nostalgia? A feeling inspired by a place or an image? A fleeting moment where we look at the past as if it was more desirable than the present. Better? I’m not convinced. Simpler, most definitely. Simpler in the sense that the responsibilities and…
