Photo Album
PAGE 3
NOTE:  MOST OTHER PAGES WITHIN THE SITE CONTAIN MANY MORE DIFFERENT PICTURES
LAST UPDATED: OCTOBER 23
NOTE: NEW PHOTOS GENERALLY ADDED AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 3
CLICKING ON PHOTOS ENHANCES THE DETAILS ON MOST
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN'S INDUSTRIAL MIGHT IN 1925
These images are from the 175th Anniversary book published in 1925.
Meck and Company underwear mill at Main and Parkway.
J. F. Bast and Sons underwear mill on North Berne Street.
Union Knitting Mill on William Street
W. Y. Miller shoe factory on Liberty Street.
Lebanon Paper Box Company between Market and Penn Streets.
Manbeck Brothers ice company on Liberty Street.
Walkin Shoe Company on Parkway.
Reider Shoe Company on West Main Street.
Below is the Schuylkill Haven Casket Company on Liberty Street and at right is
the R. J. Hoffman underwear mill on Margaretta Street.
At left is the building at 10
East Main Street at the
turn of the last century,
now occupied by a barber
shop.  At right is Hartman's
Liquor Store, located in
the Yoder Building, which
stood next to the present
day post office.
Delivery truck for Moyer's Market which was located on Dock Street.
Harvest home at the United Evangelical Church.
.....check back regularly for
newly added photographs....
LUCKENBILL'S CAFE
This building at 412 Dock Street was built around 1874 and was originally the C. E. Shollenberger Hotel.  For many years it was
operated by the Luckenbill family, lastly by Guy and Sue, which gave it the name at the time.  It was owned last by Henrietta and Bob
Spitler as The Dock with Harry (Duke) Dolan as chef.  All of the pictures below were taken of the building in 1934, except for the
picture at top right, when it was The Dock.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATE DOLAN HENDRICKS
These two images show a Navy blimp passing over
the Avenues in Schuylkill Haven in 1955
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIE GORDON WISNER
Dohner's Shoe Store, located below the Reading Railroad tracks at the intersection of West Main and Railroad Streets.
At left is George Berger in front of his grocery store on October 2,
1905 and below is his delivery wagon from the same period.
This picture of the Candy Kitchen on Main Street was taken on
its grand opening in 1921.
This circa 1905 image shows part of the Reading Railroad car
shops in Schuylkill Haven.
Below are two aerial images near Schuylkill Haven.  At left is the Cressona
Mall during construction at the northern edge of town and at right is the
Schuylkill Memorial Park cemetery at the southern edge of town.
let it snow
This series of photographs show snow laden scenes of
Schuylkill Haven.  At right is the intersection of Main and
Saint John Streets looking north on January 4, 1925.  
The four pictures below are clockwise from top left:
Saint John Street looking toward Main Street, the
Reading railroad watchman's box at Union Street, Saint
John Street near Main Street and Haven Street near the
present day Middle School, all from February 1918.
The bottom four are from 1958, top row showing Main
Street and bottom row showing Avenue E.
Skating on the Red Pond and an overview of the nearby area from December 29, 1916.
These homes on Dock Street are decorated for the Homecoming Celebration for World War One vets on September 2, 1919.
At left is the First National Bank on Main Street decorated for the World War One homecoming in September, 1919 and at right is
the original Coldren Mill next to the Reading Railroad tracks on Union Street circa 1920.
These circa 1920 photos show at left, the Lehigh Valley trestle at Connor's Crossing and at right, work being started on the
reclamation of the old canal bed on Parkway, formerly Canal Street.
Schuylkill Haven 175th Anniversary Committees
Images from the 175th Anniversary Book printed in 1925, showing the officers and committees
At left is the storefront for Lautenbacher's Store.  It was located
on Main Street at what was later Music Haven and is now part
of Suglia's. Below is a rare picture of the swinging bridge which
crossed the Schuylkill River at Saint Peter Street at River
Street and connected to the Island.  It was destroyed in the
flood of August 1933.
At left is shown the Earl Stoyer garage on Columbia Street at Berne Street with some of his stock of new autos.
At right is the Huling and Starr Garage on West Main Street in 1938 ( current location of the parking lot for the Nazarene Church).
At left above is the North Ward elementary school on Dock Street in 1906.  At right is the railroad bridge connecting the northern
part of The Island to the Reading Railroad car shops on the opposite side of the river.
At left is the First
Reformed Church on Main
Street at the corner of
Dock Street, as seen
looking down High Street.  
This church was torn down
after the new Saint John's
UCC church was completed
behind it.  At right is
Metamora Hall, built in
1872 and used as a funeral
home by Elias Ziegenfus.
Above at left is Maberry's blacksmith shop on Coal Street which was in continuous family operation from the late 1820s until 1927.  At
right is C. W. Faust and Sons hauling business, started in 1903.  
At left above is the hotel on Dock Street, originally Shollenberger's and later Luckenbill's.  At right is J. H. Filbert in his 1904 Cadillac,
the first automobile in Schuylkill Haven, first appearing in 1905.
FAIRMOUNT APIARY
This set of photos shows a
nice display case from
D. C. Gilham's Fairmount
Apiary, which was located
on Avenue C, when the
Fairmount Development
(the Avenues) first began
having homes built on it.  
Mr. Gilham is shown in the
other photos working in
the shop.
SCHOOL DAYS
The class pictures at left and in the center are fifth grade classes of Miss Emma Berger at the East Ward from the 1940s and the
class picture at right is Miss Linder's third grade class at the North Ward in 1948.
YODER BUILDING
The Yoder Building was located on the
south side of Main Street, adjacent to the
current post office.  It was built in 1904 by
D.D. Yoder, proprietor of the Hotel Grand
and owner of Keystone Hall, constructed
in 1900 directly behind the current post
office.  These photos show it just before
its demise in the early 1980s.
WILLOW LAKE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
This set of photos shows a construction project at Willow Lake
swimming pool on Garfield Avenue approximately 1955.
These photos appeared on Facebook, posted by Shelley Smith Moyer.
This set of photos was
taken inside the
mausoleum at the Union
Cemetery.
This nice image shows
Main Street looking east
from the Reading
Railroad tracks.
At left is the plow for the trolley
company, doing its job near
Adamsdale.  At right the plow is at
work in the same area.  Below, is the
"Highball" near Adamsdale Park.
These images show the Lehigh Valley Railroad near Schuylkill Haven as it was being dismantled in 1953.
The four photos below show the Reading Railroad as it passes through Landingville just south and east of
Schuylkill Haven.  Many coal trains, laden with the coal from the storage yards between the two locations passed
through here.
(PHOTOS COMPLIMENTS OF LEW HOY)
The Schuylkill Haven Jets were a girls softball team that competed in a county league in the late
forties and early fifties, being league champions in 1951.
(Photos compliments of Sandie Geary)
This set of outstanding railroad photographs feature the work of
brothers, Bruce and Arch Kantner, featured in two books of compiled
photos by gerard bernet
(anthracite country color and colorful memories of reading's shamokin division)
A pair of steam engines pull a train past the J office in the
Reading Railroad yard.
A diesel engine leaves the Reading station in Schuylkill haven
in this 1951 photo.
This June 1958 photo shows a Reading train traveling in nearby
Landingville.
This 1954 image shows a westbound passenger train on the
Reading passing the Mine Hill Crossing yard office.
September 1963 found this engine drawing a string of cars
over the Reading Railroad bridge at Main Street.
A train crosses the Lehigh Valley Railroad viaduct at Connor's
Crossing in 1952, one year before its removal.
A freight train passes the station of the Pennsylvania Railroad
in Schuylkill Haven in 1954.
An eastbound passenger train of the Reading travels at
Connor's Crossing just above Schuylkill Haven in 1958.
A steam engine pulling a passenger train of the Reading
Railroad leaves the Schuylkill Haven station.
A Pennsylvania
Railroad freight
train travels just
east of Schuylkill
Haven towards
Adamsdale.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Due to page size restrictions, the PHOTO Album is now broken into
three pages. New pictures will be added on Page 3.
Links to the other two pages are here and at the bottom of the page.
THE LEE BECKER COLLECTION
Photographs posted below this section are all courtesy of the late Lee Becker Collection,
generously shared by his daughter, Virginia Reber.
SANDS HOTEL
The Sands Hotel was located on the northwest corner of Willow
and Dock Streets.  Clockwise from upper left: the hotel in 1939,
undated picture of the property, its descendant, the Haven
tavern, presumably Mr. Sands on the porch of the property.
Ed Bittler had a radio shop and battery shop/station in town.  
Pictures below are, top row: radio shop on St. Charles Street (location of Plain & Fancy today) and
his home on Columbia Street, still there today.
Bottom row: the garage and battery shop on Main Street (near Beer Haven today).
When horse and wagon was king  -  At left is the C. W. Faust freight wagon and at right is the Joseph Killian ice
wagon, delivering at the Greenawald building just below the railroad tracks on the north side of Main Street.
Just added are another set of outstanding photographs of the
car shops of the Reading Railroad at Schuylkill Haven, plus
some bridge and station images, most recently appearing in
the book by Benjamin Bernhart in his series on the Reading
Railroad.
On The Streets of Schuylkill Haven
Below is Saint John Street, looking north toward Main Street
from Union Street.  At right is Coal Street looking east toward
Dock Street.
At left is Paxson Avenue, looking west from
Haven Street toward Dock Street and at
right is a 1912 view of Paxson Avenue and
beyond from the area of the present day
high school.
Below left is an outstanding view of Haven Street looking south from the area of the present day middle school
toward Main Street and at right is a late 1800s view of Main Street looking east from the railroad tracks.
These four photos are of the funeral procession in front of the Christ Lutheran Church on Dock Street, of Lieutenant Roy
Guertler on April 12, 1931.  Guertler was the first Schuylkill Haven boy to graduate from West Point, Class of 1928.
BUSINESSES ABOUT TOWN
(FROM THE LEE BECKER COLLECTION)
At left is the interior of a grocery store whose only description was "on Main Street," and at right is the I. B. Heim store at the
northeast  corner of Saint John and Union Streets.
At left is Oswald's grocery store on the northeast corner of East Main and Haven Streets and at right is Fenstermacher's store on
Dock Street at the intersection of Haven Street.
Both of these photos are described as Woll's on Main Street but I have been unable to pinpoint the exact location.
Below is the Central Hotel on Main Street in 1958.  It was later
torn down to expand Cleland's furniture store.  At right is the
Edgewood Hotel on West Liberty Street.
Below is the P. T. Hoy store on West Main Street below the
Reading Railroad tracks, before the construction of the well
known building at Main and Saint John Streets seen at right.
All three photos here are taken at 104 East Main
Street, where a pharmacy existed from 1891, starting
with Charles Commings, until over 100 years later.  It
was run from 1904-1961 by G. I. Bensinger, seen in the
photo at the bottom right.
PAUL NAFFIN'S ROLLER SKATING RINK
Prolific builder Paul Naffin, of
Schuylkill Haven, built many
structures in Schuylkill Haven,
including this roller skating rink,
located on West Main Street where
Boyer's Market is today.  On June 26,
1919, it was destroyed by fire, which
started in the vulcanizing plant
underneath the rink.
Below is a series of photographs
taken after the fire.
TENNIS ANYONE?
A century ago, there were tennis courts located between West Main Street and Columbia
Street, where Tennis Avenue is today.  Local towns had clubs which competed against each
other.  These are the Schuylkill Haven courts.
1925 ANNIVERSARY PARADE
These photos are from the 175th anniversary
of Schuylkill Haven's parade in 1925.
Clockwise from top right: Sterling employees marching
down Margaretta Street near the present day Alpha Mill,
Candy Kitchen float, vendors setting up on north side of
Main Street west of St. John Street, Union Knitting Mills
float on Parkway and reviewing stand on Parkway
looking south from Main Street.
LONG GONE BUSINESSES
From top to bottom: Luke Fisher's tombstone yard
on Dock Street at Berger Street, interior of Eiler's
music store on Main Street and Ehly's Bakery on
Dock Street.
HAVE WAGON, WILL TRAVEL
Delivery wagons from a bygone era in town, top to
bottom: Huey's ice wagon on Dock Street, Michel's
delivery wagon from Main Street and R. T. Reed's
wagon, located on Main Street.
FLOODING ON WEST MAIN STREET IN 1932
WORKING ON THE RAILROAD
These two images are of the Pennsylvania Railroad in town, the left being the freight station behind the present day borough
warehouse and the right being the passenger station, where the community center on Haven Street is today, albeit with many tons
of earth removed.
These two images show the old Reading Railroad freight
station near the Main Street crossing, below from Main Street
and at the right from Union Street.
These photos were taken during the construction of the new
freight station for the Reading in 1914.
Two vintage images showing the Reading Railroad at the Main
Street crossing.
Images of the shed at the Reading Railroad crossing at Main
Street.
FIRE HOUSES OF OLD
At left is the Friendship Hook and Ladder which existed from 1904 until 1910 when it folded into the Rainbow Hose Company.  It was
located on Dock Street next to what was the North Ward school.  At right is an early photo of the Liberty Fire Company on Columbia
Street.
Three early views of the Rainbow Hose Company on Dock Street.
At left is the parsonage for the old Christ Lutheran Church on Dock Street and at right is the
parsonage for what was the Brethren Church and is now Covenant Methodist Church.
WEST MAIN STREET
These two photos are of West Main Street circa 1919, on the left looking east from approximately the old Reider shoe factory
and at right looking west from approximately the lot between Meck's Mill and Boyer's.
FOOT BRIDGE AT SAINT PETER STREET TO THE ISLAND
These three photos are of the foot bridge which connected the
Island with down town at the northern end of Saint Peter Street
next to the river.  All views are looking eastward from different
vantage points.
WORKING ON THE RAILROAD - PART 2
Above is a photo of some of the Reading Company car shop
employees at the turn of the past century and at right is a
scene inside one of the shops with employees tending to an
injured employee.
Scenes in the yard on the western edge of the Island, one in winter and one in better weather.
Steam engines working the Reading yard at Schuylkill Haven
The four photos before show images of the car shops in Schuylkill Haven.  At bottom right are Bert Reinhart, Assistant Foreman
and James Yoder, Foreman.
Below is the Main Street crossing with the watchman's shanty
and at right a steam engine crosses the Red Bridge south of
town.
MAIN STREET DURING 1912 JULY FOURTH CELEBRATION
WORK ON THE COLUMBIA STREET BRIDGE IN 1920
Below is Saint John's Reformed Church, as seen from High Street,
which was located at Main and Dock Streets and replaced by Saint
John's UCC in 1927 and at right is the home on the corner of Main
and High Streets which was removed and replaced by the building
now there, formerly the parsonage.
FIREMEN PRACTICING AT STOYER'S DAM
Bryant mansion on main Street where Santander Bank is
located today, removed in 1956 for the building of the new
Schuylkill Haven Trust building.
Buildings being removed at Main and Dock
Streets in front of the Saint John's UCC church.
Connors Crossing bridge circa 1900
Brickyard located south of Schuylkill Haven near location of
Keystoker today.
MORE WEST MAIN STREET FLOODING
Below are homes next to the United Brethren Church on Main at
Margaretta Street, prior to their removal and at right is the old White
Church on Center Avenue with the cemetery behind it.
At left is the Miller home which was located at 600 East Main Street, at Avenue A, torn down and replaced by the brick home built by
Earl Stoyer.  At right is a home on Saint John Street at Union, now the location of the library.
Below is a home on West Main Street at Tennis Avenue, across
from Boyer's market today. At right is the Dietrich property on
the north side of Center Avenue near present day gas station.
THE END OF THE TROLLEY
These three photos show the removal of the trolley line at the
northern edge of Schuylkill Haven in 1932, 35 years after the
first trolley entered Schuylkill Haven from Pottsville.
This early 1890s view shows the Reading rail yard and the
Is;and looking east from present day Berne Street area.
Looking west on Columbia Street from Parkway showing Unger's
store and homes later removed for the Walk In parking lot.
South Ward school building with the unfinished Parkway
"island" in the foreground.
Early view of the electric light plant on Haven Street before its
replacement with the brick structure that is the borough
warehouse today.
THE SCHUYLKILL CANAL IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN
At left is a view of Lock #12 (behind Hess Concrete today) and the Schuylkill Navigation office on Coal Street and at right is Lock
#12, also known as Boussum's Lock, after the abandoning of the canal.
At left is a photo of the frozen level of the canal in Spring Garden and at right a little girl walks the towpath with South Garfield
Avenue to the left.
At left is an abandoned lock at Connors Crossing and below,
canal boats on the canal north of Schuylkill Haven.
Both of these views of the canal are north of Schuylkill
Haven near Seven Stars.
Below at left is Dewald's grocery store on South Berne Street and at right is Violet's store at 402 Dock Street.
At left is a view looking west on River Street toward the Reading Railroad bridge and at right is a view of the Schuylkill River in
the bend just below the Schuylkill Mountain east of Berne Street.
Below is work on the Pennsylvania Railroad cut at the
eastern end of Main Street and at right is the same cut in
completion.
Both of these photos are of the canal near Connors Crossing, at left is one of the locks and at right is the locks after
abandonment looking north up present day Route 61.
At left is a postcard showing the mentally ill patients at the Almshouse and at right is a scene from a performance at the opera
house, which was located on Saint Peter Street.
CAR SHOPS OF THE READING RAILROAD
End of the Lee Becker Photo Collection
This grouping of outstanding
photos of the car shops of the
Reading Railroad at Schuylkill
Haven recently appeared in the
fabulous book by Benjamin
Bernhart, one of a series on the
railroad from Philadelphia to the
coal region
Photos at left and right are of
the pneumatic crane in the yard.
Clockwise starting at top left: bridge from the yard to the shops, storehouse, lumber storage and timekeeper's building.
Clockwise starting at top left:  paint shop, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop and packing house.
MORE CAR SHOPS OF THE READING RAILROAD
The upper right photo shows the crossing at Connor's Crossing and the other three photos in this set show the bridge
over the Schuylkill River near the storage yards between Schuylkill Haven and Landingville.
These two photos show the Reading Railroad passenger station from opposite directions.
At left is a large Christmas parcel post load waiting for a departing train and at right is an early view of the interior of the
Reading Railroad passenger station.
Two views of blacksmith shops in the Reading car shop
complex in Schuylkill Haven.
Toilet facilities at the car shops on the left and the freight
station, built in 1914, on the right.