History of R.M. Palmer and the Buildings Affected by the Explosion

4:50 P.M. on Friday, March 24th, 2023

Despite being less than two miles away at the Shillington Farmers Market when the explosion occurred; I felt and heard nothing. It wasn’t until I got home after 5:00 that I found out the way I assume the majority of you did; from social media. Particularly an update at the top of my Facebook feed which was trending from Fire Alerts of Berks County.… Read Full Article

Charles Evans Cemetery

In 1846 Charles Evans donated the first 25 acres that became the cemetery. His goal was to create a nonsecular place of rest for Reading’s citizens that was removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. The site sits one mile north of Reading’s city center, which was in the mid-19th century safely rural land.

In the 177 years since Charles’ first donation, the cemetery added 94 more acres and has interred 62,000 bodies.… Read Full Article

Joseph John Wiater – Reading’s Untamable Boy

Foreward
As usual, subject matter seems to find me. I was searching for information on Green Hills Theater; a popular destination on Route 10 to see theatrical performances in the mid-20th century. Look for that article sometime in the future. However, during the course of research, I found the curious case of Joseph John Wiater, a very tenacious boy turned convict from Reading.… Read Full Article

“Lizzie Lincoln” House – The Real Story

If you ask anyone about the “Lizzie Lincoln House”, including the internet, you will get varying results; mostly the regurgitation of conjecture based on legends. I more than anyone love a good ghost story, but what is more important to me than all else is that there be truth behind it. I put in the work and found the complete story…at least, as complete as it can possibly be with the passing of 200 years since it began.Read Full Article

Berks Nostalgia