The Post Office was established at Reading in 1793, and Gotleib Yungmann was appointed as the first Post Master.—Previous to this time, letters were conveyed from Reading to Philadelphia and other important places, by private individuals upon their own account.
In 1789, a two horse coach was started by Mr. Martin Hausman, to run weekly for the conveyance of passengers and letters between Reading and Philadelphia. It made its passage through in two days. Fare $2. Letter carriage—3d. In 1790, the establishment was transferred to Alexander Eisenbeis. Mr. Eisenbeis sold out in 1791, to William Coleman, who, soon after, started a coach also to Harrisburg, which performed its trips in the same time, and at the same rates of fare and postage as that to Philadelphia.
At the close of the year 1800, the mail was carried from here to Sunbury once a week, on horse-back;—to Lancaster, and Easton, once a week, in a private two horse carriage.—But it is time to speak of the present.
The Post Office is kept in W. Penn St. near 4th.—Post Master, Samuel Ritter.
Mails,—Philadelphia and Easton Mail, arrives daily by 10 o'clock A.M., and departs at 1 P.M.
Harrisburg and Western Mail, arrives daily by 12 A.M., and departs at 11 A.M. (or sooner, if the Phila. Mail arrives.)
Pottsville, Northumberland, &c. Mail, arrives daily by 12 1/2 P.M., departs at 10 A.M.
Easton Mail, arrives every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, by 5 P.M., and departs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 6 A.M.
Lancaster Mail, arrives every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, by 5 P.M., and departs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 9 A.M.
Pine Grove Mail, arrives every Monday and Thursday, by 8 P.M., and departs every Sunday and Wednesday at 7 A.M.
The above mails are conveyed by Stage. The following, by Horse.
Boyerstown, &c. Mail, arrives every Thursday by 12 M. and departs every Wednesday, at 5 A.M.
Sumnytown Mail, arrives every Thursday by 5 P.M., departs every Wednesday at 6 A.M.
Blue Ball Mail, arrives every Wednesday by 5 P.M., departs every Wednesday at 10 A.M.
Phoenixville via Morgantown, &c., arrives every Tuesday by 6 P.M., departs every Monday at 5 A.M.
Do. via Brower's, arrives every Saturday by 5 P.M.—departs every Friday at 8 A.M.
(Baumstown and Douglassville are daily, same as Philadelphia Mail.)
The Philadelphia Cars, by the present arrangement, leave Reading every day at 1 1/2 P.M., and arrive from Phila. about 11 A.M.
Besides the mail, there are two daily Stages to Pottsville, which leave Reading on the arrival of the cars, and arrive at 12 M.
An opposition line of Stages to Harrisburg has been recently started. Stage departs daily on the arrival of the cars, and arrives from Harrisburg at 12 M.
The first Newspaper published in Reading, called the Neue Unnpartheyische Zeitung (Neutral Times) was issued February 18th, 1789, by Messrs. Johnston, Barton and Yungmann. There are now seven weekly papers printed in the Borough, which, with their respective publishers are as follows. John S. Richards, Berks and Schuylkill Journal, Office W. Penn St. between 4th and 5th, North side.—This is the oldest English newspaper printed in the Borough. The first number appeared June 17th, 1816, and it has been published unremittedly from that date.
Knabb and Boyer, Reading Gazette, Office West Penn St. between 4th and 5th, South side.
Samuel Myers, Democratic Press, North 6th St. opposite the new Court House.
R. Wilson Albright, Jefferson Democrat, West Penn, near Fifth street.
The following are published in German.
Ritter and Kessler, Reading Adler, West Penn, near 4th St. The Adler was first issued by Jacob Snyder & Co., the 17th January, 1797.
A. Puwelle, Liberale Beobachter, South 6th, near Penn St.
William Schoener Esq. Alt Berks, North 5th, near Penn St.
The Office of Discount and Deposit, was established in Reading, in 1808.—The Banking House of this institution is situated in West Penn, near 5th st.
The Farmer's Bank of Reading, was incorporated in 1814. Their Banking House is situated in West Penn, near 5th st., directly opposite the office of Discount and Deposit.
The Berks County Bank, was incorporated in 1828.—Their Banking-house is situated in East Penn, near 5th St.
The Market Houses, which, of all the public buildings, have the most indisputable title to that name, have been already noticed.
The Old Court House, was thus noticed about two years ago, by a writer in the Berks and Schuylkill Journal.—"The old Court-house was erected in 1762, and is remarkable for nothing but its ugliness. It is placed in the very centre of the Borough, that it may be advantageously seen, and most effectually mar the appearance of Reading, and obstruct an extended and beautiful view, which might otherwise be enjoyed of the Borough from east to west, through Penn street, from the foot of Penn's Mount to the Schuylkill; and from its northern to its southern extremities, through Callowhill or Fifth street.—It is probable that this unsightly edifice will be demolished in the course of the approaching summer, or as soon as the new Court-House is completed."—The new Court-house has been completed for a considerable time, but this "unsightly edifice" is still remaining. The Commissioners seem to have forgotten it.
The Jail was erected in 1770. It is a large two story stone building, and is very conspicuously situated at the corner of Fifth and Washington streets. It has a most uncouth appearance, and is a serious injury to the neighborhood in which it stands. It is hoped that a new Jail may be shortly erected in some retired situation in the vicinity of the new Court-house, and North Fifth street cleared of this grievous nuisance.
The Public Offices, or State-house, as it is generally called, was erected in 1793. It is a plain brick building, two stories high, and 100 feet front by 29 feet deep, situated at the corner of Penn and Fifth streets. The first story is divided into four rooms, and was until recently, occupied by the County Offices. They have been lately removed however to the new Court House, and the rooms are now rented as private offices. The second story is divided into two rooms, one of which is rented to the Freemasons, and the other kept for public use.
The Public Buildings of Reading had been for many years, both in number and appearance, wholly unworthy the size and general beauty of the town. But the new Court-house shows that the people of Berks County, if slow to undertake the work of improvement, are thorough in its execution.
This building was founded in 1838, and completed in December, 1840; though the interior was sufficiently finished for the reception of the Court at the August Term preceding. It stands on an elevated ground plot in North Sixth street between Penn and Washington, containing 120 feet front by 230 feet deep, and is enclosed with a beautiful iron railing.
The following description of this splendid work of art, is taken from the Democratic Press of July 14, 1840. It is almost too long to transcribe; but the great interest of the subject, and the elegance and artist-like style of the description itself, are sufficient guaranty of its acceptableness to the reader—and ???? it a grateful office thus to redeem it from oblivion.
"This beautiful structure was designed by T.U. Walter, Architect of Philadelphia, and erected according to his directions. It is composed in the Ionic order of Grecian Architecture, and its dimensions are sixty two feet front, one hundred and eighteen feet deep, and one hundred and forty six feet to the top of the cupola.
"The front consists of a rusticated basement of ten feet in height, supporting a portico composed of six columns, each three feet six inches in diameter and thirty feet high, surmounted by an entablature and pediment, the whole of which is constructed of chisel-dressed red sand stone executed in a very superior manner. The bases of the columns, the capitals, and the cornice are particularly worthy of notice as beautiful specimens of workmanship;—the graceful and glowing lines of the volutes or scrolls, on which depend so much of the charm of the Grecian Ionic Capitol, have been most perfectly developed; and the boldness, correctness and spirited finish exhibited in all the mouldings, as well as in every other prominent feature of the edifice, render this structure an object well calculated to awaken agreeable emotions of taste.
"The building is surmounted by a cupola of twenty-four feet three inches in diameter at the base, and eighty-four in height above the roof, presenting a conspicuous and beautiful object in approaching the borough;—the lower part of it forms a sort of octagonal pedestal or basement for the superstructure, and contains the chamber for the clock; the exterior of its four opposite sides are ornamented with massy olive wreaths which are intended to encircle the clock dials.—Above this basement rise 8 columns, proportioned from those on the Power of the Winds at Athens, supporting a bold and effective entablature. From the top of the peristyle rises a plain octagonal turret of nine feet two inches in diameter, and eighteen feet six inches high, finished with a frieze and cornice, surmounted by an ogee-formed dome, and crowned with a beautiful colossal statue of the Goddess of Liberty,* sculptured by the younger Rush;—this statue is as perfect in execution, as it is graceful and spirited in design, exhibiting a degree of taste and skill in the artist of the highest order.
*Cost of Statue, $283,50.
"The interior of the building embraces a basement story of eleven feet in height, a principal story of eighteen feet, and an attic of thirteen feet six inches.
"The basement contains six large rooms ranged on each side of a spacious ball running through the building, all of which have fire-proofs attached to them, constructed with a solidity and strength which insures our public records against the possibility of destruction or depradation;—these rooms are appropriated to the use of the Recorder of Deeds, the County Commissioners, the Prothonotary, the Clerk of the Orphan's Court, Clerk of Quarter, Sessions, the Register of Wills and the County Treasurer. There are also two large vaults under the portico.
"The principal story is chiefly appropriated to the Court room, the dimensions of which are fifty-six feet by seventy-five in the clear.—A sleeve or recess is formed opposite to the door of entrance, of twenty-six feet in width by twelve feet in depth, which is occupied by the Judge's bench, the whole arrangement of which presents a model of beauty and boldness in Architecture which gives character and dignity to the room.—An Architrave extends across the recess, resting at the ends on Greek antae, and supported intermediately by four ionic columns of the most graceful proportions.—The bench is placed in front of the columns, and affords a pleasing combination of lines and forms enriched with sculptural mouldings and choragic wreaths; it measures fourteen feet three inches in length, and the platform on which it stands is elevated three feet six inches above the floor of the room.
"The south side of the alcove opens into a retiring room of nine by fifteen feet, and the north into a room containing a private staircase, leading into the basement.
"The portion of the court room appropriated to the spectators is constructed with an inclination so as to afford a good view from the remotest seats, and the arrangement of the whole room is ample and complete, not only for the convenience and comfort of the Judges, the Lawyers, and the Jurors, but also for a large audience; while, at the same time, its architectural character and magnitude, render it a most agreeable object of taste.
"The attic story is divided into eight rooms, varying in size, from sixteen by twenty-three, to twenty-three by twenty-three feet, one of which is appropriated to the Grand Jury, three Common or Traverse Jury rooms, two Arbitration rooms, one Witness room adjoining that of the Grand Jury, and one room for the Town Council.
"The highest meed of praise is certainly due to the commissioners,* for the good taste they have evinced in providing so beautiful and convenient a structure to embellish our county, render our records secure, and accommodate our courts, as well as for their firmness and fearlessness in encountering the difficulties and vexations which naturally attend the accomplishment of such an undertaking.
"To the superintendents, and master carpenters, Messrs. Joseph and William Henry, belongs also the most unqualified commendation for the masterly manner in which they have conducted the execution of the whole work; as the plans of an Architect were probably never carried out with greater skill and correctness than were those of Mr. Walter by these young natives of our own county.
"Great praise is also due to Messrs. John and George Malsberger, the master Bricklayers; to Mr. Christian Greiner, who furnished the sand stone for the front, and to Mr. F.H. Witman, for the beautiful and permanent manner in which he executed the painting of the building.
The whole cost of the Court-house was $58,846 42. This sum was applied and expended during the progress of its construction, as follows—
| In 1838 | $19,546 57 1/2 |
| In 1839 | 16,115 49 1/2 |
| In 1840 | 23,184 35 |
| Total | $58,846 42 |
The foregoing account includes the expenses of the Court Crier's House, the furniture of the Offices, Jury Rooms, Court Room, and Arbitration and Council Rooms.
*John Seyfert, David Kutz, Michael Reifsnyder.
Submitted by: Nancy.
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