Author: Alexa Freyman

  • Fifth and Penn Reading

    Below are various images of the southeast corner of Fifth and Penn Streets in downtown Reading. The southeast corner of Fifth and Penn, previously the site of Reading’s well-known Mansion House, as it appeared in the 1940s. On April 3rd, 1977 the building housed a McDonalds when a fire broke out around 10:30pm. Famous Maid…

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  • Reading Hospital Garden Party

    The Reading Hospital Garden Party has been a staple event in June for over 80 years. Though, some might say it is not the event it once was. The purpose of the event is to raise money for a variety of medical causes. Did you ever attend this event? A look into the Garden Party of…

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  • Orange Car – Produce

    The Orange Car was a fresh fruit and produce business along the Schuylkill River waterfront in Reading PA. Specifically it was located at 30 N. Front Street, at the intersection of Front and Washington. It was right down from Stichter Hardware and Schindlebeck’s Coal Yard. All kinds of fresh fruit and produce were brought here…

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  • Reading Railroad – Sinking Spring – 1972

    Below are a few pictures of the main Reading Railroad line tracks that follow 422 out West, in Sinking Spring. These images were taken at the Woodrow Avenue crossing. Notice the old Sinking Spring school building in the background. Also the old station building before it’s restoration in the last image. FM Brown’s Sons (image…

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  • Anchor Hotel

    The Anchor Hotel

    The Anchor Hotel was located on Canal Sreet (2nd street extension), right next to the Bingaman Street Bridge. This photo was taken from the Bingaman Street Bridge, looking Northeast. Notice Berks Packaging in the background. Currently where the hotel sat is Canal St as it splits when it goes under the bridge. I assume this…

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  • Linette Candies

    Linette Candies is a local chocolate candy company especially known for their “Betcha Life” candy bars. They used to be located at the building shown below at 105 Washington Street in Reading. At some point they moved to a larger location in Womelsdorf. According to yellowpages.com; Linette Quality Chocolates was founded in 1927 as a…

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  • On this Day… July 25th, 1991

    Above the fold in the July 25th, 1991 Reading Eagle… Wild storms cause destruction throughout the county… Scenic River Days gears up for five nights of entertainment at Riverfront Park… Phones of the early 90s…     The local Wrestling scene heats up…

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  • The Reading Fair

    The Reading Fair had it’s first fair in 1854 at Penn’s Commons, in what is now City Park. It wasn’t until 1915 that the Fair was held at it’s most remembered location in Muhlenberg Township. They built a Horse Race Track and grandstands which were opened to the public in 1916. The fair was hugely successful,…

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  • West Reading Hotel

    The West Reading Hotel was built in 1819 on land originally owned by John and William Penn. For 145 years in was a meeting place and social scene for locals and travelers. It stood at 527 Penn Avenue until July of 1964, when it closed its doors for good. A development firm demolished the hotel…

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  • Danny’s Den and the Berks County Record…

    I was sent this image a few months ago by a reader. The picture/content is interesting in itself, a relic of the 50s. However I noticed that it wasn’t from the standard Reading Eagle. It looks like there was some sort of weekly paper called the Berks County Record? It was formerly called the Reading…

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Berks Nostalgia