Starting tomorrow, and over the course of the next 9 weeks Berks Nostalgia is going to be publishing articles on each of Berks County’s High Schools that were defunct due to the consolidation of school systems into the larger districts we have come to know today.
Most of these schools and the memories that were made in them have fallen into somewhat of obscurity, with their last graduating students (in most cases) being 70+ years old today. While the history may be preserved by the districts in which they became, there is no widely published information or an overview of all of these institutions. Berks Nostalgia has decided to change that. I have put many hours into the research and accumulation of the photos and information you are about to read over the course of the next 9 weeks.
This idea originated with the current climate we find ourselves in, the senior class of 2020 had a less than ideal ending to their high school careers and it made me ponder issues previous students have dealt with. Many have graduated knowing they would be the last in their schools history.
The Defunct Collection – Novelty Apparel
Berks Nostalgia is also extremely excited to announce the Defunct Collection. In synchrony with this 9-week article series, I have designed novelty apparel representing these old high schools. Designs come in an array of products; T-shirts, tank tops, crew neck sweaters, hoodies, youth sizes and more. In many cases these designs are inspired from actual uniforms worn by the teams of these schools. You can browse our entire store here:
BERKS NOSTALGIA’S DEFUNCT SCHOOLS APPAREL STORE
The production company we are partnering with is based in Richmond, VA, and while normal processing, production and shipping time used to take around a week, COVID-19 has obviously caused changes and delays. It can take sometimes up to 2-3 weeks to receive an order at this current time. I do apologize for the delay but that seems to be an issue with most apparel production companies within the country at the moment. We appreciate the patience, I imagine it will get better over the course of time.
Sneak Peak at a few designs:
I hope you enjoy the articles we are releasing starting tomorrow and over the course of Summer 2020. As always, if you have any memories to share or inquiries to make, feel free to reach out to [email protected]. I have expanded the shop to include designs non-related to defunct schools, and expect it to continue growing. I would love to hear if there are any other designs, defunct schools or organizations you would be interesting in seeing added to the shop.
![Moore's Diner as it sat at 421 Penn Street in Reading. Moore's was first established at 5th & Court in 1937 by Walter J. Moore. He eventually opened four other diner locations downtown, and a restaurant on the corner of Lancaster Ave and Morgantown Road, which later became Queen City Diner. [colorized]](https://scontent-dfw5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/439342573_469943478696893_6557708698437293941_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=Fh5icujveaUQ7kNvgHmWWZw&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfB1FxRbBahJ4qzXJlaX7GTBfHNcXbbjQr5TvO3HptnhbA&oe=66320698)
Great idea…look forward to reading them…
Forward thinking and creativity all rolled up in one. Perfect. I am currently blogging about my elementary school, Thomas H Ford Grade School, and cannot find any pictures or articles of it from the 60s. If you come across any, please let me know where to look. I tried google, newspapers and district sites. Keep up the great blog!
Any chance of you covering Reading Catholic High the precursor to Holy Name and Central?