Serving the Greater Pottstown Area Since 1936

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Isaac S. Lachman, Photographer, Main Street Opposite the Bank.

Isaac S. Lachman is one of the photographers in the area around 1870. Back when camera equipment was considered a luxury and not readily available to the public and the price of the camera at around $10 ($255 in today’s dollars), it was easier to dress up and visit the photographer. Small pictures were usually attached … Read more

The Flying Merkel

“The Merkel” brand first appeared in Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1902 when Joseph Merkel set-up shop producing single cylinder motorcycles. Merkel was among the most innovative of the pioneer motorcycle companies. By 1905 Merkel had decided to engage in competition and produced several racing machines. Merkel’s motorcycles were to set many performance standards in the emerging … Read more

2000s Downtown Renaissance

At a recent Progress Pottstown luncheon, borough officials expressed optimism about Pottstown’s future. The following is one of a series about where we’ve been in the last five decades. Beginning in the 1970s, proposals to renovate or rebuild Pottstown Borough Hall had consumed an enormous amount of time and money without anything getting done. In … Read more

History of Political Parties

Pottstown Historical Society March 20, 2017 Program “History of Political Parties in the U.S.” Speaker:  Patricia Norred Derr, PhD ; Associate Professor of History at Kutztown University. Patti is a highly regarded instructor in courses on American colonial history, religion, American popular culture, African-American history, and historical methodology. Patti is a transplanted Texan, who received her … Read more

Golden Gate Bridge has roots in Pottstown

This story opens in Pottstown in 1933 on South Washington Street about 6:30 in the morning. Here they come: a stream of workers from all over Pottstown, hundreds and hundreds of them. You can hear their voices and the sound of their work boots hitting the pavement as they walk — very few people had … Read more

January 2017

January Meeting Monday, January 16th at 7PM The January meeting will be held at the Pottstown Public Library at 500 High Street. Please enter via the front doors. The speakers will be Susan Davis, Executive Director of the Library and Dick Frantz, Pottstown Architect. They are going to give a history on the Post Office … Read more

2016 Historical Walking Tour

          The Pottstown Historical SocietyThursday, June 16, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 pm  We hope you enjoyed our 2016 Walking Tour.   If you missed it, you can use the outline below to assist you as a self-guided tour to appreciate the long history of the area included in this short walk of … Read more

2016 Walking Tour

The 2016 Historical Pottstown Walking Tour will be held by the Pottstown Historical Society on Thursday, June 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. The Tour begins at Smith Plaza at 150 E. High Street, in front of Borough Hall. Guides will take groups along High Street from Hanover Street to Manatawny and back. The tour … Read more

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2nd and 4th Sundays from 1 - 4 PM.

Other times by Appointment.