Berks Nostalgia

Category: Community

  • Reading Terror Bombings of 1973

    In 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

    For 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

    Blind 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

    The 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

    However 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

    I 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,…

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  • Harry Truman Visits Reading On This Day 1948

    On October 7th, 1948 President Harry S. Truman made a campaign stop in Reading where he addressed a crowd of roughly 20,000 on Penn Square at 10:45am. He spoke from a platform which was erected on the southeast corner of 5th & Penn. The city was already decorated in celebration of Reading’s Bicentennial anniversary, and…

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  • Pagoda Update 9/10

    If you follow along on facebook you are probably aware that back in January I joined the board of the Foundation for the Reading Pagoda. The iconic structure has been closed to the public since COVID related closures back in 2020. A building and grounds assessment was conducted in 2023 which determined the building itself…

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  • Shillington Hotel & Bank

    This was originally posted on July 29th, 2024 to Berks Nostalgia’s facebook page, I have since added some more info and am reposting it here. Everyone likes to dump on Reading for its blighted properties (and it’s generally warranted) but lets put Shillington in the spotlight and examine the building on the southwest corner of…

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Berks Nostalgia