Reading, Pennsylvania


The city of Reading is located in the southeastern part and is the fourth largest city in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. It is often called the three Bs town. Beer, biscuits, and bulbs. Simonds Brewery was a brewing company, and Huntley and Palmers was once the world's largest biscuit manufacture. Bulbs stands for that the city was a centre for agriculture and horticulture.

The city is ranked as one of the best places to live in Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area, and the county seat for Berks County.



To See And To Do In Reading


  • The Reading Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour
  • The Stokesay Castle
  • The Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
  • The Reading Public Museum
  • Downtown
  • The Reading Public Museum
  • The Speckled Hen Cottage Pub
  • The Fairgrounds Farmers Market
  • The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts
  • The Gring’s Mill Recreation Area
  • The Berks History Center
  • The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum
  • The Reading Fire Museum
  • The Miller Center for The Arts


History Of Reading - Timeline


Thousands of years before the first European settlers came the Lenni Lenape people inhabited the Reading area. In 1638, the first European settlers in the region were the Swedes.

In 1701, the Swedes established a permanent settlement with farms and small communities. In 1702, around 150 people lived in the village. In 1705, Joseph and Sarah Finney, settled and the site was now known as Finney's Ford. In 1707, the Broad Street Independent Chapel was built. In 1743, Conrad Weiser, Richard and Thomas Penn, mapped out the town for the first time.

In 1748, the town of Reading was founded. And once again, the town was mapped out, by Nicholas Scull and William Parsons on land owned by Thomas and Richard Penn. In 1751, Conrad Weiser built a house. In 1752, the town became the county seat of Berks, and a log-built chapel was established.

In 1755, Nicholas Werner built the small log house, on the southwest corner of 4th and Cherry (the Speckled Hen Cottage Pub and Alehouse).

In 1763, the Reading Public Library was founded. In 1785, the Simonds brewery was founded by William Blackall Simonds. In 1790, the first Federal Census recorded 2,225 residents.

In 1800, around 2,400 people lived in the town, and the Broad Street Independent Chapel was rebuilt. In 1826, the Christ Episcopal Church was built. In 1833, the Reading Railway System was founded. It was one of the first railroads in the United States, and the largest corporation in the world. In 1836, the Keim, Whitaker & Co., a rolling mill and a nail factory, was founded. The same year the Reading Iron Company was founded. In 1837, the Bethel AME Church was built. In 1838, Jacob Lutz built a residence and started a blacksmith shop.

In 1847, Reading was incorporated as a city. In 1852, the City Union High School for boys opened. In 1856, the Albright College was founded. In 1866, the Keystone State Normal School opened. In 1871, the Livingood House-Stryker Hospital was built. In 1874, horse-drawn streetcars operated in the city. In 1876, the Academy building, once located at 431 Penn Street, opened its doors to students of all races.

In 1877, the Wilhelm Mansion and Carriage House was built. In 1887, the Hampden Firehouse was built. In 1889, the Peter Wanner Mansion was built. He was the president of the Reading Foundry Co. In 1890, the city had electric streetcars. In 1892, the Stirling mansion was completed. It was built for the owner of the American Steel & Iron Manufacturing Company. In 1898, the Eleventh and Pike School was built.

In 1900, the The Red Men Hall (Century Hall) was built. In 1904, the Boy's High School was built, and around 79,000 people now lived in the city. In 1907, the Pagoda novelty building was constructed. In 1922, the Santander Performing Arts Center (the Rajah Theatre) was built. In 1927, the Metropolitan Edison Building was completed. It was the original office of the Metropolitan Edison Company. (FirstEnergy Corp).

In 1928, the Astor Theater opened. In 1929, the Boy's High School, was converted to use as a city hall. In 1930, the Hotel Abraham Lincoln opened. In 1933, The Livingood House-Stryker Hospital was converted to apartments. In 1939, the Central Catholic High School was established. In 1951, the FirstEnergy Baseball Stadium opened. In 1971, the Reading Company filed for bankruptcy. In 2000, 81,207 people lived in the city. In 2025, 96,254 people lived in the city.