Category: 1900s
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Bertrand H. Farr and his Dream Garden
Read more: Bertrand H. Farr and his Dream GardenForeward Roughly a year ago I was contacted by a man named George Edmonds. He wanted to talk to me about books he wrote revolving around his home town of Wyomissing. George was kind enough to share photos with me as well as send me a copy of one of those books, “Dream Gardener –…
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George Field
Read more: George FieldReading High’s First Home Field George Field is located at 1801 North 5t Street. The land for this field was purchased by Reading High School’s Athletic Association on May 28th, 1909. The field was dedicated officially three days later on May 31st, 1909. At this time the Boys and Girls High Schools were separate entities,…
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Mineral Springs Hotel
Read more: Mineral Springs HotelThe structure known as the Mineral Springs Hotel was built around 1815 as a “woolen factory” or a textile mill. That venture failed within the first three years. It was turned into a privately owned hotel, restaurant and resort in 1818 which it would remain for the better part of two centuries. The Reading Water…
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503 Penn Street
Read more: 503 Penn StreetThe building located at 503 Penn Street in its footprint dates back to the 1700s and has hosted numerous businesses over the proceeding centuries. In 2016 this building was purchased by Weidenhammer Systems Corp and redeveloped by Muhlenberg Greene Architects. In 1872 there was a fire which wiped out the entire north side 500 block…
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A.T.V. Bakery
Read more: A.T.V. BakeryTheir beginnings can be traced back over a century ago when Paolo Alberti came to America from Palermo, Sicily and opened “Alberti’s Bakery” in the early 1900s. In the beginning Alberti’s competed with two other local Sicilian bakers; Tomasi and Vecchio. Paolo’s son, Joe, decided to join forces with the rival bakers and in 1941,…
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The Trexler Mansion / Reading Elks Lodge 115
Read more: The Trexler Mansion / Reading Elks Lodge 115The mansion that sits at 5th and Franklin streets was built in 1869 by a man named Horatio Trexler. He used the home as a private residence for his family until his death on March 19, 1900 at 87 years of age. After his passing his two surviving children, daughters Mary Ann Eckert and Emma…
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Josiah Dives & the Ghosts of Folly Farm
Read more: Josiah Dives & the Ghosts of Folly FarmJosiah Dives was born in 1851 in Canterbury, England. He started his business career after moving to London at the age of 13 following his Father’s death. When coming to America in 1872, his first residence was Hartford, CT. This is where he met George Pomeroy and John Stewart. Together they came to Reading and…
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Defunct High Schools Series – The Comprehensive Conclusion
Read more: Defunct High Schools Series – The Comprehensive ConclusionI hope you have enjoyed the last several weeks as we have gone on a journey of the high school education system here in Berks County. This idea came to me when I considered that the senior class of 2020 has a less than ideal end to their high school career. Nothing exactly like this…
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Penn Street Bridge History
Read more: Penn Street Bridge HistoryThis photograph of Reading, Pennsylvania was taken around the turn of the 20th century from Leinbach’s Hill in West Reading. Pictured in the foreground is the third Penn Street Bridge crossing the Schuylkill River. Across the bridge and to the left is the Pennsylvania Railroad station. A large big portion of Leinbach’s Hill, including the…
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Mohnton High School
Read more: Mohnton High SchoolIn June of 1907, the School directors met and secured the second story of the Knights of Pythias Hall for a high school room. John S. McCurdy was elected principal. The first class to graduate from the institution numbered just four. Mohnton was incorporated as a Borough the following year in 1908. This was the…
