Category: 1950s
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Berks County Christmas – Day 5 – 4th and Penn
Read more: Berks County Christmas – Day 5 – 4th and PennFifth Day of Christmas – Looking west down toward 4th and Penn Street in the 1950s. Happy shoppers walk around downtown looking for the perfect Christmas gift. The American House building is on the left in the distance.
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Berks County Christmas – Day 1 – Center Square
Read more: Berks County Christmas – Day 1 – Center SquareHappy December 1st! Over the course of the next 25 days, we are going to take a trip back in time to old Penn Street Christmas scenes. Check back every day now through Christmas to see a new picture. Fifth and Penn, the town Christmas tree lit up the center circle in town circa 1950s.
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Socialist Park in Sinking Spring
Read more: Socialist Park in Sinking SpringSocialist Park, now known as Willow Glen Park, was created in 1929, under socialist Reading Mayor, J. Henry Stump. In it’s heyday, it boasted a dance hall, and a roller-skating rink. Today, the park hosts large local events, including the Apple Dumpling Festival in June, Berks Celtic Fest in July, and Shocktoberfest, a halloween scare…
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100 block Penn Ave: Before the Bypass
Read more: 100 block Penn Ave: Before the BypassWe all have driven on route 422…the stretch of highway that runs past Reading and along the Schuylkill River down to Pottstown. This stretch of road did not always exist. In fact it wasn’t until the 1960s that US 422 in the Reading area was rerouted from surface streets through downtown Reading onto bypasses built south…
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Miss Shillington – 1958
Read more: Miss Shillington – 1958Came across this image of Miss Shillington and Miss Greater Reading standing next to an antique car. The image is from 1958, and taken in the parking lot of the Shillington Shopping Center. It appears to be some sort of antique car show going on in the parking lot. If you have any more information…
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West Reading Hotel
Read more: West Reading HotelThe West Reading Hotel was built in 1819 on land originally owned by John and William Penn. For 145 years in was a meeting place and social scene for locals and travelers. It stood at 527 Penn Avenue until July of 1964, when it closed its doors for good. A development firm demolished the hotel…
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Danny’s Den and the Berks County Record…
Read more: Danny’s Den and the Berks County Record…I was sent this image a few months ago by a reader. The picture/content is interesting in itself, a relic of the 50s. However I noticed that it wasn’t from the standard Reading Eagle. It looks like there was some sort of weekly paper called the Berks County Record? It was formerly called the Reading…
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Schell’s Mini-Golf, Restaurant and Dairy Swirl
Read more: Schell’s Mini-Golf, Restaurant and Dairy SwirlNothing says summertime like a trip to Schell’s for some minigolf and ice cream at the Dairy Swirl. Schell’s has been a landmark on 5th Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township since 1952. Initially opened as just an ice cream shop by the Schell family, the 18 hole mini-golf course opened in May of 1953, and…
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Blankenbiller’s Diner
Read more: Blankenbiller’s DinerBlankenbiller’s Diner sat on the corner of Lancaster Ave and Museum Road in Shillington, across from the Shillington Diner. Currently, a Wallgreen’s and Wine Spirits store strip mall sit in it’s place. For many years, this space was occupied by a Blockbuster Video store, CVS and Your Place restaurant and bar. I do not know…
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The Bellevue Diner
Read more: The Bellevue DinerThe Bellevue Diner was located on route 222 and Bellevue Ave, in Muhlenberg, 3 miles north of Reading.
