Category: Americana
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Pagoda Lion Heads – On this Day | Oct 8th 1971
Read more: Pagoda Lion Heads – On this Day | Oct 8th 1971Pagoda’s Lion Heads Removed & Replaced In Oct 1971 the 20 original stone lion and dragon heads were removed from the roof of the Pagoda. They sat at the corner of each point of the roof partially to ward off evil but mainly to protect each corner where tile could not be fastened. There are…
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Ted’s Soft Ice Cream – Blandon
Read more: Ted’s Soft Ice Cream – BlandonTed’s Soft Ice Cream was in operation between 1960-1976 in Blandon. It was owned by Theodore and Grace Hughes. After closing up the ice cream shop in 1976 they went on to operate a business called Ted’s Soft Pretzel’s. Unfortunately Theodore passed in 1982 and Grace ran the business until retiring in 1986. Do you…
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Sinking Spring Speedway
Read more: Sinking Spring SpeedwaySinking Spring Speedway was located along Fritztown Road, between Old Fritztown and Montello Roads. It opened in August of 1948 and was a quarter-mile semi-banked dirt racetrack about a half-mile southwest of Sinking Spring. It was ran by Harry D. Weil. They hosted afternoon and night races under lighting over the summer months. The twice-deffered…
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Christman’s Ice Cream
Read more: Christman’s Ice CreamChristman’s Ice Cream was located along the west side of 4th Street (what now is Rt. 61 before the split) in South Hamburg. It was incorporated on May 25th, 1933 by Charles T. Christman. There were two other shareholders listed as well on 1933 business charter; Robert B. De Godt of Reading and Irene Steffy…
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Van Reed Paper Mill & Covered Bridge
Read more: Van Reed Paper Mill & Covered BridgeThe Van Reed Covered Bridge The area around the mouth of the Cacoosing Creek into the Tulpehocken Creek was settled and industrialized by the Van Reed Family. They were dutch immigrants who came to America around 1750 and settled around this creek in the early 1800s. Over the course of the 19th century the family…
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Pensupreme
Read more: PensupremePensupreme was the trade name of Penn Dairy; which originated in Lancaster County. The dairy had restaurants referred to as “Pensupreme Shoppes” which served food and ice cream. They also branched into “Grocerettes” which were basically convenience stores in various places around eastern PA. The main milk processing plant was in York, PA. In Berks…
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Muhlenberg Township High
Read more: Muhlenberg Township HighIn 1830, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania enacted a law requiring all municipalities to have separate school districts. Muhlenberg Township became a municipality in 1851. At this time the Muhlenberg School District was officially established with a one-room school called Schlottman School which was located on Kutztown Road. Muhlenberg Township High School was built in 1924-1925…
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Muhlenberg Greene Architects – 100 Years
Read more: Muhlenberg Greene Architects – 100 YearsForwardMuhlenberg Greene Architects, Ltd. was founded in 1920 by Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg II. Since 1920 they have been responsible for designing some of the most well-known buildings in Berks County. Happy 100 years, MGA, this article is dedicated to your legacy. Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg II Frederick A. “Fred” Muhlenberg II was born in Reading on…
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West Reading Diner
Read more: West Reading DinerThe West Reading Diner is a piece of Berks County Americana. It was established in the 1930s on the 400 block of Penn Avenue in West Reading. All the articles I can find online say it was established in 1950. Perhaps it changed hands in ownership in 1950. The sign in the below picture indications…
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Wertz’s Red Covered Bridge
Read more: Wertz’s Red Covered BridgeWertz’s Red Covered Bridge is one of only 5 original covered bridge structures left standing in Berks County. At one time there were quite a few over the Tulpehocken Creek in various locations along its span, including one slightly upstream near the old Paper Mill. Wertz’s Covered Bridge was built in 1867 and spans an…
