Historical Society of Berks County
| Founded | 1869 |
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| Location | |
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Area served
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Berks County, Pennsylvania |
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Key people
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Executive Director: Sime Bertolet Director of Special Collections and Archive: Kimberly R. Brown Financial Manager: Amy Smith Education Coordinator: Vicky Heffner |
| Mission | historic preservation and education |
| Website | http://www.berkshistory.org |
Founded in 1869, the Historical Society of Berks County (HSBC) operates the Berks History Center as a museum and library located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Society's mission, as described on its website, is "to focus attention on the unique local history, the vast material culture, and the diverse cultural heritage of Berks County by preserving, archiving, and promoting this material to instill in our citizens of all ages and ethnic groups an awareness of this growing treasure trove of information. This allows the HSBC to be a major cultural magnet, drawing people to our community."
The Historical Society houses materials relating to the early history of Berks County in its Museum and in the Henry Janssen Library. Over 10,000 members and patrons visit during the year. The Society educates students from public and private schools in the area and is visited by researchers from all over the country.
The Berks History Center is located at 940 Centre Ave, Reading, PA. The museum has a historical object collection exceeding 20,000 items. Included are works of art by Ben Austrian, Jack Coggins, Ralph D. Dunkelberger, G.B. Kostenbader, Earle Poole, E.S. Reeser, Christopher Shearer, Victor Shearer, and Frederick Spang. The Society has a large transportation collection, including bicycles, a very rare horse drawn streetcar, a Conestoga Wagon, a Duryea automobile, and other wagons, some of which are on display at the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles located in Boyertown, PA.
In addition to the permanent collection, the museum hosts up to three temporary exhibits a year. Please call for hours.
The Henry Janssen Library, located at 160 Spring Street, Reading, PA, is the center for genealogical and historical research at the Historical Society of Berks County. The Henry Janssen Library is acknowledged to be one of the best and most thoroughly indexed collections of county data in Pennsylvania. Library opening hours are Wednesday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM and Saturday, 8AM to 4PM. Access to the library is free for members of the Historical Society of Berks County. There is a charge of $7 per day for library access for non-members. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
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