17 03, 2024

Rosenbaum Clothier and Hatter – 700-702 Penn Street, Reading, PA

2024-03-17T13:54:22-04:00March 17th, 2024|Businesses-Industry, Uncategorized|0 Comments

In 1893, David Rosenbaum constructed one of Reading's most exquisite and ornamental structures. Mr. Rosenbaum moved to Reading in 1882 and purchased the property at 702 Penn Street and the southeast corner lot at Seventh and Penn Streets, where he founded his Clothier [...]

11 03, 2024

The Loew’s Colonial Theatre – Reading, PA

2024-03-11T07:54:21-04:00March 11th, 2024|Theaters-Drive-Ins, Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Colonial Theatre, built by Carr and Schad in 1916 on the Breneiser property at 651–667 Penn Street between Ellis Mills and Hotel Allen, was the first premium movie house built "uptown." The film “Sleeping Fires,” starring Pauline Frederick, opened on April 15, [...]

8 03, 2024

Construction of the Court Street Bridge – Reading, PA

2024-03-08T17:21:14-04:00March 8th, 2024|Bridges-Viaducts|0 Comments

The current Court Street Bridge was created as part of the Downtown East Urban Renewal Project. Construction of the bridge began in 1970 and was completed in 1971. The bridge was built as part of a plan to expand the traffic capacity of [...]

17 02, 2024

Urban renewal of the 1960s and 1970s – the good, the bad, and the ugly

2024-02-17T14:09:27-04:00February 17th, 2024|Urban Renewal|0 Comments

During the 1970s, there was an uncommon level of consensus in Reading politics; almost everyone agreed that downtown Reading was once the best location on Earth. Obviously, by that point, the downtown area had been transformed into parking lots as building after building had [...]

1 01, 2024

When Reading had its own Mummers’ Day Parade

2024-01-01T14:28:33-04:00January 1st, 2024|History|0 Comments

Special contribution by Local Historian "Sharon Merolli." The following is a description of the first and only parade of the Mummers’ Association in Reading on January 1, 1908, from various news articles by the Reading Eagle and Reading Times. On a crisp and [...]

29 12, 2023

Leinbach’s Hill, West Reading

2023-12-29T22:45:54-04:00December 29th, 2023|Bridges-Viaducts, Landmarks|0 Comments

Anyone traveling into West Reading across the Penn Street Viaduct has probably noticed at one time or another the large rock formation on the right against the exit ramp for motorists traveling West on the By-Pass into West Reading. The rock formation is [...]

1 10, 2023

Reading City Council extends lease for Rotary Park

2023-10-01T04:12:46-04:00October 1st, 2023|News|0 Comments

Former Reading City Council member Stratton Marmarou made a return to Council Chambers at Monday night’s City Council meeting on September 25. Marmarou's purpose was to encourage Council to approve an addendum to the lease between the city and the Rotary Park Association for [...]

31 08, 2023

The History of Carvel Ice Cream in Berks County

2023-08-31T14:44:36-04:00August 31st, 2023|Businesses-Industry|0 Comments

Carvel has had a presence in Berks County since its early days. In 1949, the company opened one of its first stores outside of New York at 3320 North Fifth Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township. The 40-by-50-foor Carvel store on the Fifth Street [...]

9 06, 2023

Bernhart’s Creek and Wildlife Nature Preserve

2023-08-25T13:06:58-04:00June 9th, 2023|Bernhart's Lake, Landmarks, Nature & Outdoors|0 Comments

City advisors are currently collaborating with Benjiman Cammarano, a senior at Delaware Valley University majoring in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Science. Born and raised in Reading, PA, Benjiman has selected Bernhart's Dam as the focus of his senior Capstone project. The objective for Bernhart’s [...]

2 06, 2023

City Council Public Meeting – Bernhart’s Dam and Park

2023-06-02T04:13:05-04:00June 2nd, 2023|Bernhart's Lake, News|0 Comments

Reading City Council held a public meeting on Wednesday evening, May 31, about the removal of Bernhart’s Dam and to provide the public with the plan for the surrounding park. From collected samples, the PH of the water and the soil is consistently [...]

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