Category: Decades
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Staufer Building – 62 S. 6th Street
Read more: Staufer Building – 62 S. 6th StreetThe Staufer Building at 62 South 6th Street was constructed in Romanesque-style in 1897 by William M. Staufer. A large portion of the upper floors were devoted to the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, who utilized the space to house young unemployed women who needed safe accommodations. A November 17th, 1897 Reading Eagle article about the…
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Stirling Mansion, the Sternbergh Estate
Read more: Stirling Mansion, the Sternbergh EstateAt 1120 Centre Avenue sits the Stirling Mansion, crown jewel of the Sternbergh Estate; one of Reading’s most extravagant industrial-era homes. It was built for iron and steel industrialist James Hervey Sternbergh, who constructed the estate on land that was in 1890 rural Centre Park. Built in Châteauesque-style based on French revivalist architecture; the home…
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Red Caboose Park
Read more: Red Caboose ParkGrowing up I spent a lot of time at Red Caboose Park in West Wyomissing. My Grandmother lived at the corner of Reading Boulevard and Harrison Avenue above Owl’s Grove and Field. It was pretty much my second home. I was always fascinated by the big red authentic Caboose. The caboose always seemed like it…
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Turner Building – 100 South 4th Street
Read more: Turner Building – 100 South 4th StreetThere has been a bit of drama recently surrounding the property at 100 South 4th Street in Reading. The property was purchased in 2021 by Dream Ventures PA II LLC, front for Brooklyn-based developer Heights Advisors. This is the same investment company which currently owns the Luden Mansion/Central Catholic and the Santander office building at…
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Reading News Building Facade
Read more: Reading News Building FacadeThe Reading News building and its facade were constructed in 1912 for a brand new print publication at 22-24 North Fifth Street. In April 1912 the property, described as a three-story dwelling house, was purchased by local developer Wiliam A. Sharp. It is likely that Sharp was in charge of developing the structure into one…
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Nolde and Horst Knitting Mill
Read more: Nolde and Horst Knitting MillTextile was Reading and greater Berks County’s largest industry by the turn of the 20th century. Nearly every small community had some sort of hosiery mill, and headquartered in Reading was Nolde and Horst, the largest of them all. Three German immigrants, Jacob Nolde, George and John Horst chartered “Nolde and Horst Company” with the…
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City Park Fallout Shelter
Read more: City Park Fallout ShelterReading’s City Park Fallout Shelter has long been the subject of mystery. The shelter’s entrance is located along Constitution Boulevard, directly next to the city’s greenhouse. The doors have been locked tight for the past few decades. A relic of an era when the ever present threat of nuclear annihilation swept our nation; perhaps you…
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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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George Horst & His Sheerlund Estate
Read more: George Horst & His Sheerlund EstateThis article was co-authored by Brian C. Engelhardt and originally appeared in the Fall 2021 edition of the Historical Review A Man Too Modest for Who’s Who It is ironic that the Reading Eagle’s most recent mention of the late George D. Horst was in connection with the March 30, 2014 auction of his collection…
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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…