Category: Editorial
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Auditing Six Years of Reading’s HARB Resolutions
Read more: Auditing Six Years of Reading’s HARB ResolutionsThree months ago I reported the abrupt mass-resignation of Reading’s Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) following intense administrative friction, and the beginning of the shift to the City making unilateral decisions regarding historic district properties. Since that time I have analyzed 6 years worth of HARB documents via a “Right to Know” request, to better…
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Berks Nostalgia is now Berksiana
Read more: Berks Nostalgia is now BerksianaHey everyone, whether you’re new here, or if you’ve been following this website for a while—I wanted take a moment to properly reintroduce myself and share some news. My name is Alexa. For years, I’ve been the photographer, researcher, and writer here at Berks Nostalgia. What started nearly a decade ago as a deep love…
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Is Berks County going to abandon its iconic Courthouse?
Read more: Is Berks County going to abandon its iconic Courthouse?On May 5th the County of Berks released a press release announcing their intention to purchase 600 Penn Street in Reading, for the purpose of moving their services to the building. It also outlined their intent to move judicial operations over to the County’s current Services Center, which sits directly east of the 1931-built Courthouse…
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Reading’s Historic Architecture Review Board Mass Resignations
Read more: Reading’s Historic Architecture Review Board Mass ResignationsIn early March the local circuit reported that all six members of Reading’s 9-seat Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) resigned en masse. This is particularly troubling because only when things are very bad internally do organizations vacate themselves in such a manner. While the local medias reported on the mass resignations, they did not expose…
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5th and Penn Redevelopment
Read more: 5th and Penn RedevelopmentI have spent the better part of a year advocating for the long-awaited sale and redevelopment of the buildings on the northwest corner of 5th and Penn, that the City of Reading has sat on and let deteriorate for well over a decade. Finally, last month the city decided to sell the Farmers National Bank…
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2025 Year in Review
Read more: 2025 Year in ReviewWishing all of my followers a happy and healthy new year! Above is a video recap of my year, and the places we have explored together. Hope you have enjoyed the things I have covered this year. Special shout out to those of you who have chosen to support my work monetarily through memberships and…
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Artificial Intelligence impacts our Local History
Read more: Artificial Intelligence impacts our Local HistoryIt has come to my attention that Joe over at GoReadingBerks is back to his old shenanigans. Someone linked me his latest article on Blue Marsh and let me know that he scraped the interactive Blue Marsh map I spent months putting together to claim as his own. If you’re new to following me this…
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431-449 Penn Street; Its fate, my thoughts
Read more: 431-449 Penn Street; Its fate, my thoughtsThis is my attempt at summarizing the saga that has been the city’s ownership of the properties on the northwest corner of 5th and Penn. Specifically, 431-449 Penn Street, which was comprised of 5 buildings of historic nature located within the Callowhill Historic District in the City of Reading. The City purchased these structures in…
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Mother’s Day
Read more: Mother’s DayI have always known my Mom is unique, but I never imagined she would be one of only 36,000 people this year diagnosed with the rare blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma. What began as elevated protein in yearly blood work around new year turned into more in-depth testing, turned into a referral to a Hematologist/Oncologist,…
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Berks County Plays Historic Part in 2024 Election
Read more: Berks County Plays Historic Part in 2024 ElectionHowever you may be feeling this morning, its impossible to deny the part Berks County has played in the 2024 election. This is a departure from my usual analyzing of the past; but I also find it important to document the present historical moment. As we all know Pennsylvania played a huge part in both…
