Author Fred Moll captures the history and architectural beauty of the many covered bridges that once dotted our landscape with an in-depth look at the five that still exist today. This program will be held in person, inside the BHC Museum Auditorium. The cost of this program is $5 for BHC members and $8 for […]
During our January Second Saturday program, Professor Emeritus of Reading Area Community College, John Lawlor, transcribes and analyzes census information of the neighborhood surrounding the Berks History Center, with special emphasis placed on demographics like gender, race, age, and nationality. This program will be held in person, inside the BHC Museum Auditorium. The cost of […]
In August 1874, the Reading Eagle reported that hunters in Albany Township had killed the last Berks County mountain lion. In the weeks that followed, dozens of newspapers from across the country shared this story, with each providing new sensational details of the hunters' ordeal. Interest in the tale was rekindled decades later, after the taxidermied remains […]
During our March Second Saturday Program, sponsored by Berks Women's History Alliance, learn about the enduring legacy of Indigenous women in Berks County and their important cultural roles in traditional Native society. This program is presented by Amanda Funk, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge, located in Reading, PA. This program […]
At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Pennsylvania’s ironworks produced a large percentage of Colonial America’s iron. The battles of Lexington and Concord were fought in the summer of 1775, and shortly thereafter, Pennsylvania began to take measures for the defense of the state. This included raising a militia, fortifying Philadelphia, and manufacturing gunpowder and […]
During our June Second Saturday program, renowned barn expert, Greg Huber, uncovers the mysterious marks, symbols and hex signs in the interiors of Berks County barns, many of which have very special pieces of graffiti never seen before. PLEASE NOTE: Participants are asked to bring their own pictures of barn stars and hex signs to […]
During our September Second Saturday program, Lynn Otto, Commander of the 1st & 3rd Battalion of PA Regiment, tells a visual story of Pennsylvania's ill-preparedness in protecting settlers early in the French and Indian War, and the success of the resulting forts built 1755-1756 along the Blue Mountains. This event is being held to celebrate […]
After Pearl Harbor, the United States Army grew rapidly in order to meet the demands of a nation engaged in a world war. American railroads played a key role in facilitating this growth, with the Pennsylvania Railroad sponsoring five military battalions. Please join BHC for our October Second Saturday program as historian Dave Smoot explores […]
For our November Second Saturday program, historian Dennis Damiani reveals the patriotic story of Homer, a local boy who lost his life on a submarine. This program will be held in person, inside the BHC Museum Auditorium. The cost of this program is $5 for BHC members and $8 for non-members. The program fee includes […]
Using excerpts from period diaries, letters, and other resources, former Historical Review of Berks County editor, Michelle Lynch, tells the story of Philadelphia’s premier families as they evacuated to Reading in mid-September, 1777. This program will be held in person, inside the BHC Museum Auditorium. The cost of this program is $5 for BHC members […]