Berks County Heritage Center

The Berks County Heritage Center is a public historic site and park complex at 1102 Red Bridge Road in Reading, Pennsylvania, operated by the Berks County Department of Parks and Recreation. The property sits along the Tulpehocken Creek in Bern Township, north of the city, on land that connects Reading with the Blue Marsh Lake recreation area upstream. It combines preserved industrial and agricultural buildings, interpretive exhibits, gardens, picnic areas and several miles of creekside trail on a single campus, which means a visit can be arranged as a guided history outing, a long walk or a mix of both.

The site was assembled in the 1970s, when construction of the Blue Marsh Lake flood control project required the relocation of several historic structures from the Tulpehocken valley. Rather than lose them, the county moved key buildings to the Red Bridge Road property and developed the grounds as a heritage park. The result is an unusual concentration of nineteenth century working structures in one place, each interpreted for visitors by staff and volunteers who are familiar with the trades and industries represented.

Gruber Wagon Works

The centerpiece of the site is the Gruber Wagon Works, a complete wagon manufacturing plant built by Franklin Gruber in the Mount Pleasant area of Berks County in the early 1880s. The factory produced farm wagons and related vehicles using a line shaft power system, with belts and pulleys running from a central drive to woodworking and metalworking machines throughout the building. When the Blue Marsh project threatened the structure, the entire building was moved to the Heritage Center and restored. It was later designated a National Historic Landmark, a rare status for an intact rural factory of its type.

What distinguishes the Wagon Works is that its contents survived along with the building. Hand tools, patterns, machinery, paint shop materials and shop records remained in place when production wound down, so the interior reads as a working plant rather than a reconstructed display. Guided tours walk through the sequence of production, from the lumber and blacksmith areas to the assembly and painting floors, and explain how a small family business served farmers across the region before motor trucks replaced horse drawn vehicles.

C. Howard Hiester Canal Center

The Heritage Center also houses the C. Howard Hiester Canal Center, which holds a large collection of artifacts related to Pennsylvania's canal era. The collection was gathered over a lifetime by a Berks County resident with an interest in the waterways that once carried coal, iron, lumber and agricultural goods through the state. Exhibits cover the Union Canal and the Schuylkill Navigation in particular, two systems that ran directly through this part of the county, and include boat models, hardware, lock and towpath equipment, documents, photographs and everyday items used by canal families. For visitors walking the nearby towpath, the exhibits supply the context for the earthworks, lock remnants and stone structures still visible along the creek.

Wertz's Covered Bridge and the Grounds

Wertz's Covered Bridge, also known locally as Red Bridge or Reber's Bridge, crosses the Tulpehocken Creek at the edge of the property. Built in the 1860s with a Burr arch truss, it is the longest single span covered bridge remaining in Pennsylvania and one of a small number of covered bridges left in Berks County. The bridge is closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians, which makes it both a trail feature and a frequent subject for photographers. It connects directly to the walking paths on the Heritage Center side of the creek.

Other features on the grounds include a one room schoolhouse, a restored grist mill building, a Pennsylvania German style heritage garden planted with culinary, medicinal and dye plants, a small cemetery associated with the valley's early settlers, and open lawn and shade trees suitable for picnicking. Pathways link the buildings, so visitors can move between exhibits on foot without returning to a vehicle.

Union Canal Towpath Trail

The Heritage Center serves as a trailhead for the Union Canal Towpath Trail, a soft surface path that follows the Tulpehocken Creek along the route of the former Union Canal. The trail runs roughly six miles between the Reading area and the Blue Marsh Lake dam, with a largely flat grade that suits walkers, runners, cyclists and families with strollers. Interpretive signs along the way mark canal features, locks and points of local history. Anglers use the creek, which is a well known fly fishing stream in this stretch, and the trail connects to the larger network of paths around Blue Marsh managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Events and Programs

The county schedules public programs at the Heritage Center through the warmer months. These have included traditional music festivals, craft and trade demonstrations, school and scout programs, holiday and seasonal events at the schoolhouse, and hands on activities for children tied to the site's historic trades. Programming varies by season, and group tours for schools and organizations can be arranged in advance by calling the site.

Visiting Information

The Heritage Center is at 1102 Red Bridge Road, Reading, PA 19605, with free on site parking adequate for trail users and tour groups. The phone number is +1 610-374-8839, and calling ahead is the best way to confirm current tour times, building hours and event dates, since the museum buildings operate on a seasonal schedule and guided tours run at set times rather than continuously. The grounds and trail are generally accessible for longer hours than the exhibit buildings.

• Guided tours are the standard way to see the Gruber Wagon Works interior, so arriving with time to spare before a scheduled tour is advisable.
• A seasonal concession stand operates on summer weekends and accepts cash, so carrying bills is useful for snacks and drinks.
• Comfortable walking shoes are recommended, as the towpath surface is crushed stone and the grounds involve walking between buildings.
• The site works well for a half day visit combining a tour, a picnic and a walk to the covered bridge.
• Groups, school classes and bus tours should contact the office in advance to arrange staffing and timing.

For residents of Berks County and visitors passing through the Reading area, the Heritage Center functions as both a local park and a regional history museum, preserving the industrial, agricultural and transportation record of the Tulpehocken valley in the places and buildings where that work was done.