Antietam Valley Shopping Center

Antietam Valley Shopping Center
Pictured in 1969

The Antietam Valley Shopping Center was built in 1961 along St. Lawrence Avenue and Perkiomen Avenue on the edge of St. Lawrence and Mt. Penn. At the time of the picture above in 1969 various smaller stores included a state store, beer distributor, pastry shop, Merchants, insurance and more. Larger anchors included Woolworth’s and Pantry Pride. The strip mall was renovated in 1990.… Read Full Article

Perkiomen Avenue – 1978

Perkiomen Avenue 1978

Flash back to Perkiomen Avenue in 1978. Apparently this was an area prone to accidents. Popular places of the past pictured are King Hamburgers, Fecera’s Furnture, Sweet William Restaurant and Pathmark.

Perkiomen Avenue
Reading Eagle Dec 31st, 1978

Drivers Beware – Uncontrolled intersection, confusing entrances and exits, and the lack of a median strip make this five-mile stretch of the Philadelphia Pike in Exeter Township a dangerous road to take.Read Full Article

Kmart – 45 Years in Berks

Kmart has been a staple nationwide big box store since the 60s. The company, originally called S. S. Kresge Corporation, dates back to 1899. It wasn’t until 1974 when it broke into the Berks County market, opening a store at the 94,500-square-foot Cumru Township location in Shillington Plaza.

Kmart Berks
Source – pictured in 1983

According to the Reading Eagle, it featured an auto service center, a garden shop and a self-service snack bar.Read Full Article

Berks Nostalgia