Category: History

  • The Haag Hag – Mt. Penn’s Mysterious Maiden

    It was once a beautiful mountain resort nestled atop Mount Penn, right off of Hill Road. In the late 1800’s when the popularity of the Gravity Railroad was in full swing, Sphuler’s Hotel was a very popular winery and also served as lodging for those who needed a place to stay. It was just one…

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  • Reading Railroad sold to Conrail – On this Day 1976

    On this day in 1976, the ownership of the monopoly-board famous Reading Railroad was changed to ConRail. They purchased Reading Co. and other seven other rail lines which were in bankruptcy. At the time of sale, Reading Co. operated on 66% of Pennsylvania’s tracks. A brief History on the Reading Railroad The Reading Co. was…

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  • Downtown Reading 1970s

    Five Years

    Hard to believe I launched this site half a decade ago today. As with any milestone it is time to reflect on the past five years of how my content has transformed and grown. There are currently over 7000 of you following along between email subscriptions and social media platforms. This is roughly the digital…

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  • Stokesay Castle

    Stokesay Castle has been a staple  of formal dining and event space in Berks for a long time. But how does an old English castle end up nestled in the woods of Mount Penn, of all places?  You have probably heard in passing that the place is haunted, and being a Castle on a road…

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  • 503 Penn Street

    The 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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  • C.K. Whitner’s Department Store

    On December 2nd 1980 management announced that the 103 year old C.K. Whitner’s Department store located on the 400 block of Penn Street would be shuttering permanently in January of 1981. Declining foot traffic downtown was cited as the reason why the business was no longer having success in that location. At this time Whitner’s…

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  • Bernhard Adam Cemetery

    Tucked into a hill in West Reading is a quiet little cemetery that few know about. Bernhard Adam Cemetery was established in 1744, making it one of the oldest in Berks County. Originally on the site was also a small stone meeting house, allegedly the oldest of its kind in Berks. It served as a…

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  • Berks Beryllium Lands on Moon – On this day in 1969

    On November 14th 1969 the second crewed flight to the moon, known as Apollo 12, launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It successfully made contact with the moon on this day, November 19th 1969. When it landed, so did small but significant pieces from Berks County. A number of components on the lunar lander…

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  • Happy Hollow Playground – Wyomissing

    On April 10, 1910 a meeting was held in the Borough Hall building at the corner on Penn Avenue and Wyomissing Boulevard. Various speakers spoke about the need for a public recreation area, and it was decided officials would be elected to form a a committee to organize a playground association. On May 16th, 1910…

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  • Reading North West Jr. High

    Reading’s North West Jr. High 10th Graders | 1942

    This photo was sent in by reader Katie; found in a home she recently purchased. The photo states the students are the 10th grade class at North West Jr. High school in 1942. Do you recognize anyone in this class photo? At this point any remaining members of this class would be roughly 97-98 years…

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Berks Nostalgia