Category: Community
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Liberty Fire Co | Reading Area Firefighters Museum | 5th & Laurel
Read more: Liberty Fire Co | Reading Area Firefighters Museum | 5th & LaurelThe Liberty Fire Company was established on January 21st, 1854 to protect the southern section of the City. At that first meeting the members voted to name it the “Wyomissing Fire Company”, but at the next week’s meeting they changed it to “Liberty”. The City of Reading quickly purchased the lot on the southeastern corner…
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The Morbid Reality that Census Records teach us about Childhood Mortality
Read more: The Morbid Reality that Census Records teach us about Childhood MortalityCensus records are one of many genealogical resources that I utilize to bring you full accounts of Berks County’s architectural history. They help me confirm who lived in any given residence, and also provide context into their age, familial makeup and employment. While browsing some of Reading’s 1900 census records recently I noticed two boxes…
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431-449 Penn Street; Its fate, my thoughts
Read more: 431-449 Penn Street; Its fate, my thoughtsThis is my attempt at summarizing the saga that has been the city’s ownership of the properties on the northwest corner of 5th and Penn. Specifically, 431-449 Penn Street, which was comprised of 5 buildings of historic nature located within the Callowhill Historic District in the City of Reading. The City purchased these structures in…
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Sinking Spring History
Read more: Sinking Spring HistoryThis is the first article in a “Towns of Berks” series which I will be tackling this summer to look more in-depth into Berks County’s communities. This is an overview of Sinking Spring History. Sinking Spring is a borough located in south-western Berks County. It sits along major roadway route 422, also called Penn Avenue,…
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Reading Terror Bombings of 1973
Read more: Reading Terror Bombings of 1973In my ever present quest to determine whether the good old days were really all that good, I came across this heinous story about a string of hand-made explosives which were placed in the 6th ward section of Reading in 1973. For some context it is important to remember that Reading was demographically changing during…
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Reading Pagoda – History, Present & Future
Read more: Reading Pagoda – History, Present & FutureFor nearly 120 years the Pagoda has served as a beacon to generations of us who have called Reading and greater Berks County home. What is its story? How does such a unique Japanese structure end up on a mountain in Pennsylvania? What’s happening now? You have likely noticed the building has been closed and…
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Blind Hartman’s Tavern
Read more: Blind Hartman’s TavernBlind Hartman’s Tavern was established in 1822 by Jacob Hartman on Pricetown Road in Alsace Township. Hartman was blinded in 1786 at age four while he was playing with his baby brother when the child grasped an awl, and playfully jabbed it into Hartman’s eye, resulting in total blindness in both. This tragedy didn’t appear…
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Olive Leaf Union Chapel
Read more: Olive Leaf Union ChapelThe Olive Leaf Union Chapel sits on Fritztown Road just beyond Weitzelville and right before you get into Fritztown if traveling toward Lancaster. It is home to the Olive Leaf Sunday School, which has been congregating since July of 1890, previous to this in what the Reading Times described as a “nearby school” in Montello.…
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Berks County Plays Historic Part in 2024 Election
Read more: Berks County Plays Historic Part in 2024 ElectionHowever you may be feeling this morning, its impossible to deny the part Berks County has played in the 2024 election. This is a departure from my usual analyzing of the past; but I also find it important to document the present historical moment. As we all know Pennsylvania played a huge part in both…
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Membership to Berks Nostalgia
Read more: Membership to Berks NostalgiaI am at a crossroads with Berks Nostalgia. The past 7.5 years my creative and communication skills have flourished here. I would love to make this somewhat of career, though I have no delusion that it will be a particularly lucrative one. Luckily my situation is one where it doesn’t need to make me rich,…
