BHC welcomes historian Ed Matten, as he chronicles his visit to Normandy in June of 2019 by presenting two videos along with discussion. In addition, Ed will share interviews of WWII veterans, recordings from General Eisenhower, old stills, guided tours by experts of this momentous historical event, and the very moving ceremony held with President […]
Trustee Richard Polityka explores the establishment of Penn’s Common in 1749 by Richard and Thomas Penn as public commons, or a place for “public recreation.” However, County Commissioners, starting in 1800, permitted three major intrusions, the water-works, the prison grounds and the fairgrounds. This program illustrates the many changes to the park and its many […]
Co-authors Jim Remsen and Brad Upp draw from military and medical records, pension files, dairies, memoirs, newspapers, and more to present a rich account of Camp Discharge and the men it housed and helped. Eighty-nine Pennsylvania regiments had men at Camp Discharge, and nine of those regiments recruited in Berks County: the 32nd, 36th, 88th, […]
The Women’s History Alliance continues its Suffrage 2020 Centennial Celebration with a documentary recognizing Berks County women who are first in their occupational fields. 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 admission […]
At the end of the Civil War, Pennsylvania had more orphaned children than most states. Carl Bloss, Archivist Emeritus of Bethany's Children's Home, who previously lectured at the BHC about the Soldier’s Orphans Schools Program (SOS), will speak about the early orphanages of Reading and Berks County from 1729 to 1850, when many orphanages were […]
BHC trustee and baseball historian, Brian Engelhardt, presents a program about Moe Berg, who played shortstop for the Reading Keys before a 15 year major league career as a catcher. Fluent in 10 languages, Berg graduated magna cum laude from Princeton with a degree in modern languages. Following his retirement from baseball, during WWII, he […]
Historian Paul Miller will share a slide presentation that details the history of the health resorts that once existed on South Mountain near Wernersville and covers their history in vintage historical photographs from beginning to demise. Included is Grand View, Walter's Park/South Mountain Manor, Sunset Hall, The Preston, Galen Hall, Bynden Wood, Highland House, The […]
Join BHC for a game show of fun facts and photos of historic Berks County structures, presented by Muhlenberg Greene Architects, LLC in honor of their founder (and designer of the Berks History Center) Frederick A. Muhlenberg’s 135th birthday. This program will be held in person, inside the BHC Museum Auditorium. The cost of this […]
Great-great-granddaughter of Julius Sturgis, author Jill Marie Thomas, presents the history of America’s oldest commercial pretzel bakery which started in Lititz and is now located in Reading. (This program is rescheduled from previous dates.) This program will be held in person, inside the BHC Museum Auditorium. The cost of this program is $5 for BHC […]
Historian Dennis Damiani reveals the hidden stories of these local champions through diligent research of high school yearbooks, letters, historical documents, testimonies and more. 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 admission […]