Most items in this collection were generously donated to the Library by Henry "Spud" Murphy ("The Murphy Postcard Collection). Others smaller portions were donated by Carl Soule, Jr., Beverly Stone, and other individual donations. Digitized with the support of a grant from the Reading Celebration Trust's Historical Preservation Fund.
"The First Congregational Church of Reading was founded in 1770. The present edifice was built in 1910 and stands on the site of the old Bethesda Church which was built in 1849 and destroyed by fire in 1909."
"This typical 17th century salt box is the town's oldest house. During the Revolutionary War British prisoners were housed here among them Sir Archibald Campbell. The house is now headquarters of the Reading Antiquarian Society."
From handwritten card accompanying postcard: "The houses in the foreground are on the corner of Summer Avenue and King Street. The open space behind the homes on the far side of Summer Avenue is now the site of Walter S. Parker Middle School."; Frank Parker E.A. Carpenter
"The door leading to the inside of Sailor Tom's home designed with nautical hardware ship's lights on either side. Come aboard and pay us a visit. Tom and Polly"
"Surrounded by a sea of rhododendrons and mountain laurel. Home consists of seven rooms: length overall 80 feet with a 15-foot beam. Route 28 Reading, Mass. You are welcome pay us a visit. Tom and Polly"
"Drop anchor at Sailor Tom's. Route 28 Reading, MAss-12 miles north of Boston. Food you like at prices you like to pay. Glad you came folks. Hope you will come again. Thanks a million. Sailor Tom. For reservations call Reading 2-7026."
Accompanying collector's note reads "A picture of the Reading town team in 1909. The manager 5th from left was George Horrocks. Next to him Timothy Cullinane. Second from him Fred Day. In the front row in the middle is Len Nichols."
"If a postcard was made up of the rifle range for a stationer in Wakefield it was captioned as located in Wakefield regardless of its being in Reading." From a note from postcard collector.
Collector's note reads "An uncaptioned photographic postal card at the midway of the Reading-Wakefield fair before World War I. It was located in the area of Track Road behind the Registry building off Salem Street."
6 Salem Street Reading MA 01867; Description printed on postcard reads "This historic church and green constitute the number one landmark of Reading. The original church built in 1817 was destroyed by fire in 1911 and rebuilt along the same lines in 1913."
"If a postcard was made up of the rifle range for a stationer in Wakefield it was captioned as located in Wakefield regardless of its being in Reading." From a note from postcard collector.
"A so-called future card of Reading done in about 1910. Note the bus tour of Reading the subway to New York and the overhead trestle with the its train and aircraft." From accompanying description by Henry Murphy postcard collector
"General Brooks drilled the Minutemen of 1776 in the kitchen of this house and Lafayette on his second visit to this country stopped here. The first missionary to India and the first missionary to the Sandwich Islands went from this house." -- from face of postcard