Reading City

City Hall is located at 815 Washington Street, Reading PA 19601; phone 610-655-6000.

Beginnings [1]

READING, at a very early day, reached the full size of an ordinary county town, and then for many years remained nearly stationary. But the few past seasons have produced much improvement. It is delightfully seated on the Schuylkill, in a pleasant plain at the foot of Penn's mount, from the top of which there is a noble prospect. It is regularly laid out according to Penn's system of right angles, and is remarkable for smooth, hard, clean streets. The gravel with which they are covered is from the adjoining mountain, where it is found in a state nearly ready for use. The town is noted for its high steeples and elegant court-house. It has the other usual county buildings, 12 churches, 2 banks, and 2 market-houses; and is supplied with pure running water, and has seven newspapers, of which three are German. There are a number of manufactories of iron, such as nail, and rolling-mills, foundries, steam-engine, gun-barrel, and auger factories; also grain and saw-mills, with establishments for making agricultural implements, and many other articles, all driven by steam. It was formerly noted for the manufacture of wool-hats, shoes, and stone-ware, which is still carried on to some extent. The town was laid out by the Penns in 1748, and took its name from the city of Reading, in Berkshire, England. During the Revolution many of the citizens of Philadelphia retreated thither. It was incorporated as a borough in 1783; and is 52 miles N. W. from Philadelphia, and the same distance E. from Harrisburg..

1. Burrowes, Thoms H., State Book of Pennsylvania, 1847, Uriah Hunt & Sons, Philadelphia