May 20, 1975: Century-old Building Reduced to Rubble

By Margaret Leidy Harner from her book One Day at a Time: A Social History of Boyertown, PA.

May 20, 1975: In the name of urban renewal, the century old building, originally the home of the Keystone Fire Company and later Boyertown Borough Hall, has been reduced to a heap of rubble at 27 South Reading Avenue, to be replaced by a parking lot.

Demolition began last week at the rear of the gray structure, and after the insides were sufficiently weakened, a push at the front corner of the building by a bulldozer scoop was enough to send the building toppling into a cloud of dust. The debris was loaded on trucks and by evening there was only a deep hole in the ground.

More News from Boyertown

• The Hunt Is On! Locate 16 Bear Fever bears in Boyertown in July to qualify for a Grand Prize.
• Boyertown Community Library Joins Studio B in Celebration of the 20th Anniversary Boyertown Community Library joins Studio B Art Gallery in its celebration of Bear Fever's 20th anniversary with a StoryWalk® in the community park.