Overview
Founded in 1869, the Historical Society of Berks County (HSBC) is a museum and library located at 940 Centre Avenue, in Reading, Pennsylvania. “The mission of the Historical Society of Berks County 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 a treasure trove of materials relating to the early history of Berks County. Over 10,000 members and patrons visit during the year.

History
In July 1869, a call was made for interested citizens to gather “for the purpose of collecting and perpetuating the historical reminisces of Berks County.” Following the first meeting in August, the Historical Society of Berks County was incorporated on December 13, 1869. The first president was the Honorable William M. Hiester. After a period of stagnation, President Albert G. Green revived the Society in 1898. Meetings were held in the Exchange Building located on North 6th Street in Reading, PA. The first female member was Kate E. Hawley, wife of the Reading Eagle newspaper founder Jesse G. Hawley, a charter member.

The Historical Society first started collecting objects in June, 1898. Our first building, purchased in June 1904 from the Reading Gas Company, was located at 519 Court Street. At that time, membership was 150. Less than ten years later, the burgeoning Historical Society needed a larger building, and J. Bennett Nolan led the search for a new structure. In the summer of 1928 the cornerstone was laid for the present building, and construction was completed the following year. Made of concrete and brick, it was designed to be a fireproof structure to house the collection and archives. The present facility was dedicated on October 1, 1929. Needing more office, display, and storage space, the Historical Society embarked on a fundraising campaign in the 1980s. The new building addition was opened in 1988, providing the library with its own dedicated storage and research space. Again faced with storage concerns, the Historical Society took possession of its first off-site property in 2000. Known as the Hendel House, this ornate Victorian structure is located directly across from Centre Park and is used for meetings, programs, and object storage. In 2005, the Historical Society bought the former M&T Bank building, across the street and to the rear of the main building. After undergoing major renovations during most of 2008, the building opened in November 2008 as the Henry Janssen Library, a premier research facility.  It now houses all of our special collections and archives.

Collection
The Historical Society of Berks County has a vast collection of objects, paintings, books and photographs. Included in the library collection are over 15,000 volumes, 523 Fraktur, 345 broadsides, 30,000 photographs, 1,118 microfilms, an extensive multimedia collection, a currency collection, 170 almanacs, CD’s, sheet music, minute books, newspapers dating back to 1796, blueprints, surveys, 582 maps, autographs, city directories from 1856, business and industry files, personality and family name files, census records, business records, school records, Schuylkill Navigation Company and Union Canal plans, tax records from 1754, church and cemetery records, and 7,200 individual pieces of paper in the manuscript collection. Our computer database includes over 800,000 names, all available to the public.

The museum has a vast and diverse 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.