Another Opera House View

I was sent this photo of the Rhoads Opera House in Boyertown. It was take the day after the fire.

What I thought was interesting is that on the right you can see The Mansion House, which is currently Durango's. And between the two buildings appears to be an empty lot. Currently between the buildings is the Hard Bean Cafe building.

When I was little the ice house was at the back of that lot. I wonder if it was there at the time of the fire?

Snowed In part 2

Continuing our walk down Philadelphia Avenue...

Morrell Funeral Home on W Philadelphia Ave










The newly repainted Boyertown Inn
They didn't need to shovel their entire sidewalk, since it's still blocked off after a car through the wall.

Body Borneman Insurance

Bause's Super Drug Store

Snowed In part 1

We got an unusually large amount of snow in Boyertown, PA, so far in 2010! We had 15 inches of snow on Friday-Saturday Feb. 5-6 then 23 inches on Feb. 10-11.

Military bear at Fairview Cemetery

on West Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, PA

After the roads were cleared, here are some photos walking around town in our little winter wonderland.

The old Lincoln School on W Philadelphia Ave. in Boyertown, PA

Most people had cleared their sidewalks, but navigating the curbs to cross the streets was a little tricky, because some paths had gotten plowed over.

It's lucky Good Shepherd's bear is wearing an Indian blanket to stay warm!
Good Shepherd U.C.C., W Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, PA

Back in September 1987, they were still constructing the Keystone Fire Company in Boyertown, PA. They had sold the building at 24 North Reading Avenue and bought a lot at Walnut Street and Spring Street.

I used to live in one of the houses along North Reading Avenue, and the fire company would have been right at our backyard. We moved out in 1986, and I remember the lot had been sold to the fire company then, but when we moved construction had just begun. Specifically, they had begun digging. Kids from the neighborhood would take pieces of cardboard and climb the pile of dirt they created, probably from digging the basement, and slide down.

When I was growing up, the lot where the fire company was built was half grassy field (which they mowed about once a year so it was full of weeds and you couldn't play in it) and half parking lot for H&R. It wasn't H&R Block, the tax people, it was H&R a clothing manufacturer. They must have had some type of retail store, because I remember going into the building a few times with my mom. But basically it was a factory and the lot was for people working there.

Because parking was limited in back, most yards only had one spot, and no one wanted to park out front along Reading Avenue because your car could get hit, many of the neighbors would park in the lot and walk up the alley to their houses.

These pictures were taken when I was 15. I was a junior in high school, and one day a friend and I were riding our 10-speeds around town and I took along my camera. I suppose the statute of limitations on trespassing has run out, so I can admit we walked all through the construction checking it out and taking photos.

The Keystone's website says the building opened in December 1987.

The former Keystone Fire Company building stands at 24 N. Reading Avenue in Boyertown.

In the photo, you can see the three Pennsylvania keystones in the brickwork. The white marble at the top says "Keystone Steam Engine Company No. 1." The front glass windows used to be the truck doors.

The building is now owned by National Penn Bank.

Walking down North Reading Avenue, there's a house that used to be Emilee's Bridal Salon. In the photo it's the tan building in the middle.

with the awning.

Two of my friends got their wedding dresses there, and had their bridesmaids' dresses made there.

In the photo, on the left is the former Dierolf home, and on the right is the Neubauer home.

This is Fifth Street in Boyertown, PA, behind Ritner's State Theatre (white building on the left).

In elementary school I was friends with a girl who lived in one of the row homes pictured here. I don't know about the others, but the house she lived in was divided into two apartments, and she lived in the upstairs apartment.

Back then, the Boyertown Casket Company was still standing, so you wouldn't have been able to see the trees behind the houses. (And I doubt the sun would have shone that much on them, either.)