Berkshire Mall; Wyomissing (Reading), Pennsylvania
I know that I’m really keeping these posts coming fast and furious lately, but after I threw up my tome on the Fairgrounds Square Mall outside of Reading, Pennsylvania, I decided to follow it up with the other, better mall serving the Reading area: the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing.
While the Berkshire Mall is in some ways very typical of a mid-sized mall serving a mid-sized city, it’s stuck in something of a time warp. The decor inside isn’t the most exciting, but it is certainly interesting (and kind of shabby) just by virtue of the way it hasn’t received much attention. In the comment strand to Fairgrounds Square, one of our commenters (Bruce) noted that “It amazes me how bad Berkshire Mall looks, especially given its prime location in upscale Wyomissing. The exterior alone looks like a dead mall and its large sign out front is the worst of 70s ugliness. The owners really need to spruce up this property.”
’70s ugliness? You be the judge:
I might have to agree.
Like with Fairgrounds Square, I wasn’t able to find much online about the Berkshire Mall. I do know that the Boscov’s seen in these shots is actually quite new. It replaced a Strawbridge’s that closed in 2003 or 2004, and was reportedly the worst-performing Strawbridge’s in the entire chain. The space was a Strawbridge’s for a relatively brief period of time; the store was built as a Wanamaker’s. The Sears, as far as I know, has always been here, and I think the same is true of The Bon-Ton, who is based in nearby York. Beyond that, these pictures mostly speak for themselves: the mall’s a pretty basic straight shot, with a small second level at the center court. But some of the various accoutrements sprinkled throughout are in poor shape; between the dried-up, swimming-pool-blue fountains and the bizarre quasi-industrial benches, this place clearly needs some good ol’ lipstick and rouge.
The Berkshire Mall was also the site of a controversy (or, if we want to be more colorful, hullabaloo) in February 2007 when a 29-year old nursing mother was asked to stop feeding her infant or to cover up. It became a bit of a cause célèbre amongst the, er, breastfeeding community, and they staged a “nurse-in” on February 24, 2007 in response. So far as I can tell, the result was… a whole lot of breastfeeding (there’s video at that link, but it’s not creepy).
Which reminds me! You should all ask Prangeway sometime about the time he was thrown out of a mall for (accidentally) taking pictures of a breastfeeding mother. That’s quite a story.
mallguy
September 23rd, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Definitely a time warp mall…looks like a cross between Woodbridge Center (pre-1987 construction) and Seaview Square (pre-1994 construction). The fountain in front of Boscov’s looks pretty cool.
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Bobby
September 23rd, 2007 at 11:33 pm
http://www.alliedretailprop.com/alliedretailproperties05/05operatingproperties/berkshire_mall/BRKM_01_Main.htm Here’s a lease plan.
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DRoman
September 24th, 2007 at 9:28 am
ugh that “bench” in the 3rd picture looks uncomfortable, and the fountains are ugly too. I agree, this mall needs some modern and colorful decor to counter all the bland off-white industrial look.
The center court looks alright though and the Boscov’s looks really good. Wish we had them here in Michigan.
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Terry Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
@DRoman,
The Boscov’s was originally a Wanamaker’s. When it opened, it blew away anything else in the area for store design and decor. This mall was a “first” for the Reading area, and opened just after Reading’s “redevelopment authority’ bough many of the downtown retail properties and demolished them. The city literally drove shoppers to the suburbs, and the city has never been a strong retail center since then.
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dan-onymous
September 24th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
If nothing else, it’s certainly well-foliated.
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Scott
September 24th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
An overzealous security guard told a breastfeeding mother to cover up? What kind of pervert would find that offensive? Wow, that’s one sick dude. I guess news like that distracts from the fact this mall needs a good remodeling.
Scott
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Streph Reply:
September 7th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
@Scott
If you’re going to breastfeed, do in privacy and not a mall. I’m sorry, but you’re being lured away from the fact that families bring their toddlers to shop.
If I had kids, i wouldn’t want them seeing that at such an early age.
Yes, it’s part of life, she has to feed her baby, but don’t whip it out in the open.
Also, who cares about the security guard? That’s seriously irrelevant to this situation. If he wouldn’t have said anything, someone else would have. Does that make them a pervert too?
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Steven Swain
September 24th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Sufficed to say, as many malls as I’ve seen, this place takes the cake. There’s the funky plastic benches straight from the set of “Blacula” and the waterless fountains (the bridge over nonexistent waters by Sears is priceless), along with the attempted exterior update of Bon-Ton that only made matters worse. There’s enough ugly here for three malls!
I get the feeling that Bon-Ton was not an original anchor at this mall either. For one thing, the store is something like twice the size of the Bon-Tons I’ve seen, the (apparently) in-store Rite-Aid the lower level is strange and the exterior, like I mentioned looks (badly) redone. I wonder if this was maybe a Gimbel’s or Pomeroy’s at some point, or maybe a Hess’s.
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Terry Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:19 pm
@Steven Swain,
It was originally a Lit Brothers, the Philadelphia chain. They were known to have “sales” in which items were marked up instead of down!
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Brian
September 24th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
The Bon Ton entrance has the look of a Hess’s. The couple that they built in Tennessee had a similiar pyramid theme.
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Bobby
September 24th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Okay, I did some digging. That Bon-Ton was never a Hess’s. It opened in 1970 as Litt Brothers. Litt Brothers closed in 1976 and became Pomeroy’s, which became Bon-Ton in 1987.
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Jonah Norason
September 24th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
The website resembles Pyramid Mall Ithaca’s website in a way. The picture of the woman with the Elizabethan flea collar-like thing is bizarre.
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Jim
September 25th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Wow! Glad someone from outside the Reading area took a look at this mall and thought what all of us here in Reading think!! This mall is in serious need of a make over!! The orange octagon-shaped flooring inside has been there since the mall was built (or at least the early 80’s. I found a picture with Santa from when I was younger circa 1982). Center court actually used to be a fountain as well, which was covered up years back and used for collectable shows, etc, and is the home to Santa and the Easter Bunny. The fountain used to shoot up beyond the second level…With the center court remodel and the addition of some better stores, we can only hope the turnaround is on its way…
You guys got the Bon-Ton right. Used to be a Pomeroy’s…Boscov’s used to be a Strawbridges, was built as Wanamaker’s and had a brief stint as Hecht’s in between…
This mall is finally catching up with the surrounding counties as the store selections at Park City in Lancaster, Lehigh Valley in Allentown and Exton Square in Exton, as well as King of Prussia, pretty much takes a lot of the business out of here…
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Michael
September 25th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
I am sorry to say that the Bon-Ton at Berkshire Mall never used to be a Lit Brothers. Lit Brothers, a Philadelphia-based division of City Stores, closed abruptly in April 1977. They never had a location in Reading. In fact, they had very few mall stores. Most of their stores were located in downtown locations, ie NE Phila, S Phila, Atlantic City. Their mall stores were located at Plymouth Meeting, Neshaminy and Echelon only.
Yes, the Bon-Ton at Berkshire Mall was originally Pomeroy’s, Pomeroy’s, a division of Allied Stores, was originally from Reading but also had divisions in Harrisburg, Wilkes Barre, and, strangely, Levittown. In June 1987, it was purchased by York-based Bon-Ton. Pomeroy’s and Bon-Ton kept their individual names until 1990. The closest Pomeroy’s to Reading, after the Berkshire Mall and the downtown store (which closed in 1985), was the Coventry Mall store in Pottstown. That store opened when the downtown Pomeroy’s closed.
Pomeroy’s ruled the eastern Pennsylvania rust belt cities and was expanded in 1984 when Allied Stores merged Pomeroy’s with its Greensburg PA based division, Troutman’s. That made Pomeroy’s a statewide chain as it expanded to the outer limits of Pittsburgh. Pomeroy’s was a great store. It had everything and its main locations in Reading, Harrisburg and Wilked Barre were impressive architectural masterpieces when they were built.
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Steven Swain
September 25th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
According to the Reading Eagle newspaper, the Berkshire Mall Bon-Ton was a Lit Brothers before it was a Pomeroy’s. It also stated that Whitner’s Department Store was an early anchor, though it didn’t say how large that store was or where it was located at the mall.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=54161
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DannyK
September 25th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
May Co. had Kauffmann’s, Hecht’s and Strawbridges stores operating in PA. I believe the former May Co. stores in the York/Harrisburg area were under the Hecht’s nameplate and not Strawbridges.
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Michael
September 25th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
I’m sorry but I have reviewed my files on both Pomeroy’s and Lit Brothers. Though the Reading newspaper cites the location as originally being a Lits store, I have no record of any mention of this location in the newspaper clipping files, annual reports and store location listings that I have from the 1960s forward. There is a remote chance that City Stores could have operated a Reading store as a separate entity from the Philadelphia group. They did operate a Trenton division for a while (formerly Swern’s) but then merged those operations. I’d love to be proven wrong and would welcome specific details. But I have fairly complete records on most US department store divisions and Lits in Reading is a consistent no-show. With Lits being such a latecomer to the mall industry, I’d be surprised that they’d pull out once they were finally in one. My articles on Pomeroy’s from the Reading Eagle Press also make no mention of a Lit Brothers acquisition. Also the (altered) design of the current Bon-Ton does not even remotely resemble the identical look of the few Lit mall branches that ever existed.
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Daniel
September 26th, 2007 at 1:01 am
Danny, you are correct about Hecht’s.
There were 3 Hecht’s in PA. 2 were in Harrisburg. Both in Harrisburg were former Hess’s at Harrisburg East and Capital City. The Harrisburg East store was originally a 3-level Gimbel’s. While Hess’s, the bottom floor was used by Toys-R-Us. They moved to a nearby outparcel when Hecht’s took over.
The York store was a late 90’s build at West Manchester, to add in the fact that York had become a Baltimore exurb. It would have been built at the York Galleria if there was any room there. West Manchester is a fairly dead mall now. York has more dead malls than anywhere though, although most of them have been taken care of and big-boxed or bulldozed.
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Michael
September 26th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Just to continue with my anal personality, I checked with folks at the Reading Public Library as well as the Executive Offices of the Bon-Ton at the Berkshire Mall. All sources said that there was no Lit Brothers at the mall (”that it was a Philly store”) and the branch was opened as a Pomeroy’s. All 3 people, who were quite familiar with the mall, confirmed this. I hate to be so anal but I’m just too obsessed with department stores.
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Bobby
September 26th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
That’s okay, at least you were able to find the actual answer.
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Keith
September 28th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
What is now Bon-Ton was formerly Pomeroy’s and yes, prior to that is was Lit Bros. Worked at Lit’s from 1972 till they closed in December 1975. Boscov’s had been a Hecht’s – which was just AWFUL – it was John Wanamaker’s before that and prior to that Whitner’s. Whitner’s was another downtown Reading store right down the street from Pomeroy’s. Pomeroy’s was on Penn at 6th and Whitner’s was between 4th & 5th. Looking at the web photos makes you realize how dated this mall is. Glad someone could show us that this place needs a major re-do. My favorite thing is the blacked out display windows on the outside of Bon-Ton/Pomeroys. They are just sooooo attractive.
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RR Ryan
October 4th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
I love the benches in the last shot. They haven’t moved in thirty years. It seems like the only thing they’ve done to the place is paint the railings in one of those hideous 80’s color combination, in this case is looks like teal and mauve. Out here in California, it’s teal and terra cotta. Equally painful.
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Craig
October 15th, 2007 at 3:18 am
Love this site! This was a trip down memory lane, and I was amazed how little has changed at Berkshire Mall since it’s opening in 1972. Good or bad,
this is the height of 1972 mall design! The mall’s original anchors were John Wanamaker, the mall’s finest store; Sears; and yes, Lit Brothers
of Philadelphia in the center. It also had Whitner’s, a local Reading store. It’s
main store was on Penn Square in Downtown Reading. It was a ’specialty’
store(like Saks Fifth Avenue), it mostly catered to women with RTW, Furs,
Cosmetics, Jewelry and Accessories. It was a very nice store, located on the right(West?)side of the mall as you approached Wanamaker’s. Close to Whitner’s was Hughes And Hatcher, a very nice Men’s store. Both Whitner’s and H&H were larger than the typical mall stores, but not nearly as large as the department store anchors.
It’s too bad the mall is now home to two of the nations worst stores- Boscov’s and Bon-Ton. There is really nothing positive to say about these two chains. Just look at the photo of Bon-Ton’s exterior. Was someone PAID to design whatever that green thing is at the entrance?
I have not been in Berkshire Mall since about 1977 when Lit Brothers filed for bankruptcy and closed. I have great memories of how the Lit’s and John Wanamaker stores looked then- very nice for that era. Would rather not see those two structures as they are today- their photos scare me!
Thanks for the opportunity to share this with you!
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Jonah Norason
October 15th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Oh, don’t bad-mouth Boscov’s. Boscov’s is one of the last family-owned department stores. The sign is the most hideous for me, looks like a roadside flea market sign.
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Jordan
October 22nd, 2007 at 7:53 pm
The Berkshire Mall is my third favorite mall (next to King of Prussia, and Park City). Call me crazy, but I actually love the “’70s ugliness”. I am a sucker for old/retro stuff. Though this mall hasn’t really changed cosmetically, at least it has been kept up alright (seems like that to me anyways). It DOES have a lot of the nicer stores too. In fact, we stroll through and shop at the inner mall stores more than we do the department stores there.
Now that I have read these comments, I VAGUELY remember Hechts being in where Boscovs is now when we first moved to the area. We never really went in that end though, even when Strawbridges was there. I like that Boscovs is in there, it IS a pretty good store.
Now, I can’t for the life of me remember a couple things about a couple stores in the back of Bon-Ton. Was there something previously in where Tweeter is now, or was that built for Tweeter? Also, there was a fabric store my mom used to frequent in that small building on side of Bon-Ton, but I can’t remember it’s name. :- ( I also remember a Gateway store being on the side of Bon-Ton, but is that where Tweeter is now, or was it in where the fabric store was?
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Charlie
November 7th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
It was sad to see the fountain in the center of the mall removed. As a child I remember spending countless hours watching the fountain go throught it’s numerous patterns of light and formations. It was capable of shooting to well above the floor of the second story. The upper level was also host to one of the largest arcades in the area. It was nestled in the corner which is now occupied by the food court. To my suprise, someone has opened an arcade (Challange Arcade) in the opposite end of the second level that has many classic arcade titles. It hosts various pins and videos dating back to the 70s.
Charlie
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Terry Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:29 pm
@Charlie,
Just FYI, Berkshire Mall’s fountains were designed by a Reading company, “Symphonic Fountains” who was at the cutting edge of both the mall-ization of America and the computer age. They operated out of a crappy building in a crappy neighborhood and nobody really understood what they were doing. but they were in the right place at the right time, and did installations for many malls in their heydey.The CEO’s wife was a head cashier at one of the Boscov stores
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kristy
December 14th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
berkshire mall sucks it is small and the stores are going out of business it is not like covertry mall or park city mall or lebanon valley mall or my faorite mall harrisburg mall this mall is small and is not well populated . this mall had no life ………………………………….
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bruce
December 14th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
I lived forty five miles from berkshire mall when I was growing up, and we visited the mall at least every three months. It basically hasnt changed since my childhood, which is thirty plus years ago. Kristy stated that stores are going out of business and its dead. That isnt the case, the mall is mostly busy and yes some stores went out of business, but recently hollister, journeys, and wet seal has open. When I went last week to Christmas shop, I only noticed two empty storefronts on the first floor, and they had stores signs taking the empty spaces. Visiting their website, which is under allied properties, they are opening a plaza, or a lifestyle center near Boscovs and a supermarket, either fresh food or whole foods. I been living in the Reading area for two decades and Berkshire is definately the mall where Berks county shops, even if its in a time warp of the seventies.
Bruce
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Dave Robidenza
December 19th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
I spent many hours of my youth in the Berkshire Mall while visiting my grandparents. Though I agree it could use a makeover, part of me is glad that the same funky ’70s decor still exists, if only for nostalgic reasons.
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krista
January 18th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I was just talking to my sister about the Berkshire Mall. I can remember the movie theater where the Omega Labs is now and a caferteria/resturant called Highlander where the Rite-Aid now is. I remember the first purchase I ever made with my own money when I was a little girl was a Raggedy Ann doll from Whitners where the Coventry Corners now is. Also, I remember Gadgets, upstairs resturant/bar with the Looney Tune Characters. I was just a little girl but I remember how awesome the bar seemed…it was a labortory and I think they served their drinks in beakers. I wish I could see it now as an adult and see if it was as cool as it seemed as a child.
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Tony C.
January 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Had the fountain at the SEARS entrance in the mall been running when the pic was taken, it would have been more appealing. I once sat on the bench in center court and farted and it ECHOOOOED loudly up the hollow tube….unintentional but LMAO…great design!!!
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Allison
February 14th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Jordan, the current Tweeter location was, in fact, the Gateway store, at least until the late ’90s when I moved away from the area. I grew up in nearby Morgantown and this was our mall when I was a kid. I remember buying all kinds of New Kids on the Block gear in the Claire’s store in the late ’80s. I went back for a visit last summer and took my fiance, who is not from the area. He was really impressed with the arcade on the second floor, especially the old Simpsons and Bubble Bobble games. The pet store down by Sears has also been there for as long as I remember. Really, the place has not changed at all. This brings back so many memories.
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Greg
February 22nd, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I grew up very close to the Berkshire Mall and now I live in Phoenix, AZ. I just loved looking at these pictures and reading everyone’s comments. I’m very sad to learn to center fountain has been taken out – that was a big deal. I remember when this mall opened and I remember it was farmland before. I do remember the Lit Brothers store – it was at the location occupied by Pomeroy’s and now Bon Ton. It was right in the middle of the mall where the big fountain was. But I do not remember Whitner’s occupying the space that was Wanamaker’s. I believe Wanamaker’s was there when the mall first opened and Whitner’s was at a separate location.
I remember the opening of this mall basically meant the end of downtown Reading as Berks County’s shopping destination. So in a way it was kind of sad too. But I too love the retro 70s theme.
Next time I visit Berks County, I’ll be sure to drop in on the Berkshire Mall.
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Donna
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Yes, to confirm what everyone else has said, Lit Brothers was the original store in the portion of the mall where the Bon-Ton now occupies. In between it was a Pomeroy’s. Someone mentioned the Tweeters/Gateway section – that was originally a Woolworth’s. Back when the mall first opened, Woolworth’s was where you stopped if you wanted to shop at the Berkshire Mall but didn’t have enough money to buy in the bigger stores (Lit Brothers, Wanamakers). I shopped at Woolworth’s a lot! Then I believe it became the fabric store – but I don’t remember the name. After that it was Gateway & then Tweeter, although Tweeter is now also closed I believe. Wanamaker’s became Hecht’s (for a very brief time) & was then purchased by Boscov’s. The “Wanamaker Eagle” stood outside the store on the lower level & was a landmark for meeting people, as in “meet me at the Eagle”. Also, I thought the Highlander was a restaurant run by the Sears store & it was located between what is now the catalog pickup area & the Tweeter store. Maybe I’m wrong on the name of it, but I do know that at some point, there was a restaurant there, well, more like a diner than an actual restaurant. It was a hangout after going to the 7:30 movies – you could go in & get a cup of coffee before it closed. Center court did have a big fountain with changing colored lights (kind of like “disco water”) & yes, the water really did shoot 2 stories into the air – if you were on the 2nd level (now the Food Court), the water would come up as high as the railing. Ah, memories…..
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Terry Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
@Donna,
The Woolworth’s was literally chopped in half–you couldn’t enter Gateway from the mall–only from the parking lot. Not sure what other stores occupied the inside half with mall access….
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Jennifer
April 4th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Does your pet store sell dogs from puppy mills ? We wont stand for it,I dont care how long they have been in business.
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Jordan
April 25th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Thanks to Donna and Allison for the info. = )
Just to give a little update of stuff going on.
The Rite Aid in the mall has moved. This is due to Rite Aid’s purchase of Eckerd Drug. There was an Eckerd Pharmacy (With a JCPenny Catalog Center) in the old Weis grocery store plaza by the Redners/Walmart/Staples plaza, but half of that plaza had been sitting empty for a couple years as Weis had moved over to the newer Target plaza a little farther up north. Now that Rite Aid bought Eckerd, they took over half of that old plaza (JCP CC is closed), while Reading Hospital has the other half.
So since Rite Aid doesn’t need two locations THAT close to each other, they just closed the Rite Aid in the mall. Don’t know what they are going to put in there yet.
Also, the fountains on both the Sears and Boscovs ends are in full working order once again which is nice! There is also some sort of small garden display in the center now.
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Maureen
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I believe the Highlander restaurant (as I recall it was cafeteria style) was where the Rite Aid was and Woolworth had a diner attached to the store you could walk into from the store or from the mall entrance. For a short time there was a popular restaurant with a Looney Tune characters theme (can’t remember the name), I remember people would line up to get in. Wanamaker had two restaurant sections toegether on their top floor laid out in a train car theme.
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Greg
July 31st, 2008 at 12:31 pm
The Looney Tunes restaurant was called Gadgets, I believe. It has animatronic stage shows throughout the restaurant, and a good sized arcade. This mall used to have two arcades.
I’d totally forgotten about that cafeteria restaurant. I do like the time-warp factor of this mall. The interior looks exactly the same as it did almost 30 years ago. God, now i feel really old.
Speaking of old, I’m amazed you got a picture of those terrible white seats without any of the old people that populate them throughout the day.
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Here
July 31st, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Those benches are actually comfortable, believe it or not.
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Kristine
September 17th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
about the pet store, I don’t think they are from puppy mills. My cousin bought a cocker spaniel puppy there years ago, and it was from a breeder in Kansas. Just 2 months ago, we went there again just to look at the puppies, and we saw 2 dogs that looked exactly like her puppy, also from the same breeder. We were curious, and we asked the lady there about the dogs. My cousin had suspected it came from a puppy mill, but she said that they only get dogs from reputable breeders.
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JIM
October 9th, 2008 at 11:50 am
CHRISTMAS TIME IS CREEPING UP ON US AGAIN SOON. I’M HOPING THE SAME SANTA CREW WILL BE BACK THIS YEAR AS LAST. THE SANTA WAS GREAT WITH MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS SCARED TO DEATH. SANTA WENT TO GREAT LENGHTS WITH HER AND BEFORE WE LEFT SANTA WON HER HEART OVER.
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Dom
October 20th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
what were the original department stores at coventry mall?
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George Wanamaker
October 28th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I am trying to locate a sign from one of the original John Wanamaker stores; one of the interior mall or exterior mall signs. It is sort of symbolic for me to have one; I have been looking for years. Please let me know if you know of anyone who has one for sale. thanks all
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Frank Beans
November 16th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I like the fact that the mall has not changed much over the years. Change just for the sake of changing is not always a good thing. Other than teenagers, most people go to the mall to shop, not for the scenery. It may be outdated by todays standards, but it’s definitely not falling apart.The elderly go there to socialize and “mall walk” in the early hours, and probably prefer it the way it is. I’m 32, so I guess I just like nostalgia. I also prefer Berkshire over Fairgrounds because I don’t speak Spanish.
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Terry Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:35 pm
@Frank Beans,
I mean this in the kindest possible way: listen to Chris Rock’s comedy bit about every town having two malls…I won’t go in to further detail but it so describes Reading! And it’s very funny as well.
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John
November 16th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
In the early 1970s, we used to drive from Allentown to the Berkshire Mall. (This was before the Lehigh Valley Mall was built.) Back then, we thought the Berkshire Mall was modern and large. The first glass elevator I ever saw was at the Berkshire Mall and as a kid, I was fascinated by it.
In addition to the glass elevator, the center court had a colorful fountain that would alternate water jets and colors — something we didn’t see in Allentown. When the Lehigh Valley Mall was built in 1977, it was much bigger and newer. We never went to the Berkshire Mall again.
I never recall a Hess’s.
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Max Reply:
August 1st, 2009 at 10:05 pm
@John, Not sure of this comment of “I never recall a hess’s.” Where? Not at the Berkshire Mall? We would have loved for Hess’s to be in Reading. However, Reading was Al Boscov’s territory. The unwritten rule at the time being Hess’s never set foot in Berks county and Boscov’s never set foot in Lehigh county. Of course, that was from the days each city/area had it’s own unique department store- unlike today where everything is the same. I mean this in the nicest way possible- but if you lived in Allentown in the 1970 and never recalled a Hess’s…the you did not live in Allentown, PA. They were “the” store and played by their own rules. Who else would not even list themselves in the yellow pages under Dept. Stores? It was a great place to work and sadly missed.
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Dom
November 27th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Tell me about the coventry mall?
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Dom
January 7th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Who knows info about the Coventry mall?
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Todd Reber
January 10th, 2009 at 1:00 am
I was raised in Berks County, and yes Bon-Ton was a Lit Brothers, for a very brief time, I believe it was the last new store they build before going under. Wanamakers and Lit Brothers were the 2 philadelphia stores, and Sears. There was a small 4th anchor Whitner’s from Reading in the mall also.
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Dom
January 25th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
does any one know the Coventry Mall besides the Berkshire Mall?
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Mike R
March 5th, 2009 at 1:55 am
The last Lit Brothers store that was ever built was at Neshaminy Mall, in Bensalem ,PA. The Neshaminy store later became a Pomeroy’s, then Bon ton, and finally, Boscov’s.
The Berkshire Bon ton store looks almost like the former Lit Brothers store on Cottman and Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, before Clover added the metal sheeting to the building.
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Gerri
March 14th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Lit Brothers was definately at the location of the Bon-Ton at the Berkshire Mall. I went to a hairdresser there in the 1970’s , that is unless I was in the Twilight Zone!
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Tim
March 28th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Wikipedia should underscore the fact that Lit Bros was located at the Berkshire Mall http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lit_Brothers, that, and, as I Wyomissing resident, I was in the store.
Otherwise, my youthful recollections include shooting peas through a straw from the balcony of the courtyard on unsuspecting shoppers below.
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Becca
March 29th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
haha i go to this mall all the time
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Lynn
April 1st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I love the Coventry Mall, which I used to shop at 30 yrs ago, and now it’s my favorite (besides King of Prussia). When I first moved to the Reading area 20 yrs ago, the Berkshire Mall was THE mall to go to. I just don’t feel drawn to that mall anymore, although I love the Boscovs. It used to be so pleasant to walk around, and now the lighting seems off, and it has an old warehouse feel compared to the the other two malls I mentioned. Stopping the fountains was a mistake in my opinion; stuff like that draws people in. I would take my son there when he was little and couldn’t wait to throw pennies in the water. The overall oldness of the property is not my thing. Just venting though, happy shopping
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Dom Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:36 am
@Lynn, What were the original achor stores that the Coventry mall had 30 years ago? I heard Pomeroy’s was in coventry mall! But where in Coventry mall was Pomeroy’s? And Kohl’s was once a Hess’s! What was store was before Hess’s?
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Leah
May 9th, 2009 at 8:54 am
I am a teenage girl, and I absolutely love the Berkshire Mall! It has a Hollister, American Eagle, and Aeropostale! Three amazing stores!!! Just because the decor isn’t great, doesn’t mean the stores are bad too!!!
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Robin
May 15th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Oh how I remember this mall and how I miss it while I grew up in Wyomissing from 76-81. I understand people’s aversion to the 70’s decor but I love it. Of course I’m biased.
I know those white rest-benches look old and grimy but they’re a landmark. I played on those things all the time.
For me, the glory days was when my mother would take me there for a treat or whatever while she would go shopping or to work (she used to work in Merle Norman on the Wanamaker side) before she died in ‘81 after which I moved to Philadelphia.
The stores I remember were Bavarian Pretzel (left side as you walked in), the tobacco place in the NE corner of the fountain, the Supercade (upstairs)… there was also a women’s fashion store called I think, “Feel Fine” which was in a corner opposite Wanamaker’s.
I also remember the upstairs-leftside restaurant BEFORE it became Gadgets. Don’t remember the name but a vivid memory was seeing a clown in the back entertaining the kids with tape of this disturbing goofy circus music. This place was just next to what was then Pomeroy’s. Always liked their Shirley Temple’s.
There was a men’s Brooks-Brothers, Botany-500 type clothing store (down the Sears hall) that didn’t seem to have any name but always emitted this strange high-pitched tone as you walked buy it – kind of like a dog whistle.
Also remember Baskin Robbins (near or next to Merle Norman), Donuts Galore (SW of fountain), wall-to-wall sound & records…even Wanamaker’s had a little hidden restaurant upstairs (with stained-glass window booth seperators) which I remember served a great rice pudding.
Also miss the theater next to Lit Bros./Pomeroy’s in the rear part. The toy store (Wanamaker side) called “Kids” or “Kidz”. Back then, there was no food court.
Who else remembers the Acme supermarket in the shopping center behind the mall. That area also had a Black Angus Steak House that played old comedy shorts on a little movie screen, complete with a trolley-type seating area covered with classic movie posters. That area also had a UA or something movie theater where I saw Star Wars for the first time.
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Kelly Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 3:56 am
@Robin, Are you thinking of the Acme and Black Angus on 5th St. Hwy.? Because I remember going with my parents grocery shopping and then going to eat at the steak house with trolley seats and posters all over. I would usually get a cheeseburger that was served open, with a little scoop of cheese on the burger, it looked like a little ice cream scoop. You brought back lost memories for me! And I’m thinking the UA theatre was the one by where Mcdonald’s is , I don’t know the name of it now.
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Matt
May 24th, 2009 at 1:03 am
This is a great mall. I too remember the center fountain and loved it. I was told it was removed due to constant repairs, high running cost and apparently it fogged the glass of all the surrounding stores. If anybody has a picture of that fountain, please post. I asked the management and they looked at me as if I were nuts.
I think the decor is great. They could match up the lighting a little better though (different color bulbs here and there). Neither fountains have working lighting. Lights are present, but haven’t been on in years. The fountain lighting in fron of Boscov’s has been painted over and only one of the ceiling lights is ever on. I hope they never renovate the place, all the malls look the same now.. cheesy, stupid decor (like King of Prussia). KOP used to look really cool, had fountains and foliage and everything (my mom worked in the management office). Then they ruined it with all the gaudy fixtures and crap. I don’t want that to happen to Berkshire. I’m 20 and love it’s look.. it’s something you don’t see everyday. I’m proud of our local timewarp.
I wear my striped tube socks, TaB t-shirt and Sony cassette Walkman to that place and blend right into the walls.
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mrmdn
June 27th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
The sign out front of the mall was very recently replaced. It looks like the sprucing up has begun.
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Dom
July 21st, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Is anyone on here familiar with Coventry Mall in Pottstown? I found out Boscov’s in Coventry Mall opened in September 1994. What was before Boscov’s in Coventry Mall?
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Jonah Norason (Pseudo3D) Reply:
August 29th, 2009 at 11:47 am
@Dom, according to Google News, it was Hess’s.
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Dom
August 28th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Please reply to my post above!
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john
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:12 pm
this mall sucks, DONT by cigars from the Berkshire Express. i bought a few cigars from them and ALL OF THEM WERE STALE AND DRIED OUT! i am never getting cigars from them again. see yea in fairgrounds mall, they have a huge cigar shop there.
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Bobbi
September 4th, 2009 at 8:40 am
I remember as a child waiting in line to get into the restaurant that used to be aside of Woolworth’s. The food there was good for the kids but looked disgusting for the adults, LOL! I also remember the huge fountain in the middle of the mall that changed colors. My sister and I used to ride up and down the elevator all night watching the water while our parents walked and shopped in the mall. I miss those days. I remember the Chuck E Cheese used to be where Sears is now, I think there is lawnmowers in there and snow blowers. I really miss the old mall. Yes, it does need to be fixed a little, but why can’t they bring back the fountain? Those sofas on the corners are tacky and also hold germs and hide bugs that transfer onto people. Need to go!
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LKStimeling
October 9th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I was almost dragged into the office by the parking lot patrol. The mall had taken down the original bubble parking lot lights from when the mall was built, they coordinated nicely with the old seating around the main fountain. A huge pile of them was in the parking lot and I was taking a few digital photos. The mall guard threatened to take me to the office if I didn’t cease and desist taking photos. So everyone knows: legally you can’t pull into the mall parking lot and take a photo of your family in the car. You’re on private property and must notify the office of your intent.
Also taken out were two gazebo-like structures at the Sears end of the mall. I miss those.
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Kelly
November 5th, 2009 at 4:32 am
I had stumbled across this blog by accident, and when I read the first dozen comments I was getting kind of mad. Most of us do not care what color scheme is o.k., and at least we know how to spell and punctuate. I was happy to see many positive comments after that. In this area we think more of nostalgia than how ‘cool our mall looks’. Most of us like our old fashioned mall, at least it’s pretty clean, and if you do not like it then we are happy that you never want to go there again! I cannot wait to read the Fairgrounds Mall comments. Oh, the good old racing days…
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