{"nrhp_refnum":"85003447","name":"Keystone Hook and Ladder Company","other_names":["Keystone Fire House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Second and Penn Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Reading","county":"Berks County","state":"PA","lat":40.335025064000035,"lon":-75.93320873299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-10-31","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick firehouse at Second and Penn streets near the base of the Penn Street Bridge, one of the principal gateways to Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Built in 1886-1887 by the Keystone Hook and Ladder Company and designed by local architect E.K. Mull.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is a well-preserved Queen Anne landmark that marks Reading's rapid industrialization after the Civil War. It also represents the shift from private volunteer fire companies to city-funded municipal fire services, since the city agreed to cover the funds raised by neighborhood leaders and later purchased the building. Its design by a local architect is presented as an example of regional achievement.","narrative":"Built in 1886 and 1887 at Second and Penn streets, the Keystone Hook and Ladder Company firehouse stands near the base of the Penn Street Bridge, one of the principal entrances to Reading. Local architect E.K. Mull designed the two-story brick building, whose florid facade is capped by a wooden bell tower with a pyramidal roof, shingled walls and stick style trusses. Its brickwork draws on German mid-century design, while the tower reflects Queen Anne taste. The building is significant for its link to Reading's industrial growth in the decades after the Civil War. It also marks the move from private volunteer fire companies to municipal fire protection, as neighborhood leaders raised funds for it and the city agreed to cover the cost. The first floor's engine bays were later enlarged into a single opening to fit bigger fire engines.","period_of_significance":"1886-1887","architect_builder":"E.K. Mull (architect)","architectural_style":"Queen Anne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Altered: the first-floor engine openings were enlarged into a single central opening in the twentieth century to accommodate larger fire engines.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:33.55218-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/85003447.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85003447/4cd682368c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85003447/4cd682368c-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keystone_HnL.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keystone_HnL.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997912","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Hook_and_Ladder_Company","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6398468"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/berks-county/keystone-hook-and-ladder-company-85003447/"}