Category: Retail
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On this day, 1985 – Downtown Pomeroy’s Closes
Read more: On this day, 1985 – Downtown Pomeroy’s ClosesPomeroy’s Department Store in downtown Reading closed in 1985 after 109 years in business on Penn Square. The business itself was sold to competitor BonTon who took over Pomeroy’s remaining location in the Berkshire Mall. Pomeroy’s history in downtown Reading dates back to 1876, when Josiah Dives, an Englishman, John Stewart, a Scot, and…
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Kaleidoscope at Berkshire Mall
Read more: Kaleidoscope at Berkshire MallThe Kaleidoscope was a store in the Berkshire Mall in the 70s. It sold jewelry, black lights and other psychedelic things. You could also get your ears pierced there. Do you remember this store?
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DeLuca’s Camera Center
Read more: DeLuca’s Camera CenterDeluca’s Camera Center was originally located at 617 Penn Street in Reading. It was founded in 1947 by Louis and Antoinette DeLuca. The article above from June 1990 mentions that the store moved to 518 Penn Street from 520 Penn Street. However it mentions nothing about it’s original location on the 600 block. In the…
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600 Block Penn St – 1960s
Read more: 600 Block Penn St – 1960sImage from “Berks Countians; The Wonderful Way We Live” Stores pictured from left to right:Manning-Armstrong – Foot-Craft ShoesJ&T Brakelmann JewelersMinros – Golden Rule JewelersDaniel’sBeverlyDeLuca’s Camera CenterJ.C. MummaThom McAn Shoes
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Reading Rug Company – Lancaster Ave
Read more: Reading Rug Company – Lancaster AveReading Rug Co, pictured in 1961, was located on Lancaster Ave. As far as I can tell Reading Rug Co no longer exists, though it at the time boasted it was one of the most outstanding carpet specialist in the United States. I’m not sure of it’s exact location, but it appears it could be…
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Bon-Ton / Pomeroy’s at the Berkshire Mall
Read more: Bon-Ton / Pomeroy’s at the Berkshire MallEveryone has heard that Bon-Ton had declared bankruptcy and was subsequently closing all of it’s stores back in April. Liquidation began immediately, and finally after 4 months of sales the location at the Berkshire Mall is closing for the final time today, August 28th 2018 at 5:00 pm. Bon-Ton occupied the center anchor at the…
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Red Building – Textile Knitting Mill / Vanity Fair
Read more: Red Building – Textile Knitting Mill / Vanity FairThe old red building was just demolished the other day, to make room for parking for what will be UGI’s new headquarters. Now is as good a time as any to take a look at it’s history, which encompasses over 100 years of use. What we currently know as the “Red Building” was the very…
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Two Guys Department Store
Read more: Two Guys Department StoreTwo Guys was a discount store founded in 1946 by New Jersey brothers Sidney and Herbert Hubschman. This location in Shillington was constructed during the summer of 1962. The entire company went defunct by 1982, so I am guessing this store location shuttered sometime shortly before then. These photos below were sent in by Ron…
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Blockbuster Video Berks
Read more: Blockbuster Video BerksThere were once four Blockbuster Video locations in Berks County, one being the above on Route 724/Lancaster Pike in Shillington. The others were at 4860 Penn Ave in Sinking Spring near Redner’s Market, 3262 N 5th Street Highway in Muhlenberg Shopping Plaza, and 3985 Perkiomen Avenue in Mt. Penn/Exeter. Blockbuster, was an American-based provider of home…
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Shillington Shopping Center
Read more: Shillington Shopping CenterThe Shillington Shopping Center has been around for many decades. It is located along Lancaster Avenue in Shillington. Pictured below is the Food Fair and W. T. Grant Co. stores from the 1950s. Did you ever shop here? The only thing that appears the remain the same in the past 60 years are the entrance…
