Gruber Wagon Works
Encyclopedia
Gruber Wagon Works is a historic building currently in Bern Township, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
Franklin P. Gruber, who had been making farm-use wagon
s since the 1870s, constructed the wagon works in 1882. The business continued operating under the family's ownership, expanding to wagon repair and other manufacturing to adapt to changing demand, until it closed in 1971.
Unfortunately, the building's original site on the Licking Creek in Pleasant Valley fell within the planned area of Blue Marsh Lake
, so it was bought by the Army Corps of Engineers
and during the winter of 1976–1977 they relocated it 5 miles (8 km) east to its present location.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1977.
It is located on Red Covered Bridge Road in Tulpehocken Creek Park, in vicinity of Reading
.
Gruber Wagon Works is now part of the Berks County Heritage Center, an open air complex that also includes the C. Howard Hiester Canal Center with exhibits about canal transportation, Wertz's Covered Bridge, Melcher's Grist Mill, Deppen Cemetery, several memorials and gardens. The Center is open seasonally and offers tours of the historic buildings.
Bern Township, Pennsylvania
Bern Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,758 at the 2000 census.It is in Schuylkill Valley School District.-Geography:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Franklin P. Gruber, who had been making farm-use wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
s since the 1870s, constructed the wagon works in 1882. The business continued operating under the family's ownership, expanding to wagon repair and other manufacturing to adapt to changing demand, until it closed in 1971.
Unfortunately, the building's original site on the Licking Creek in Pleasant Valley fell within the planned area of Blue Marsh Lake
Blue Marsh Lake
Blue Marsh Lake is an artificial lake located northwest of the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. It is in western Berks County, fed into by the Tulpehocken Creek. The main span of the lake is along the border between Bern and Lower Heidelberg Townships. However, the northwesternmost portions lie...
, so it was bought by the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
and during the winter of 1976–1977 they relocated it 5 miles (8 km) east to its present location.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1977.
It is located on Red Covered Bridge Road in Tulpehocken Creek Park, in vicinity of Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
.
Gruber Wagon Works is now part of the Berks County Heritage Center, an open air complex that also includes the C. Howard Hiester Canal Center with exhibits about canal transportation, Wertz's Covered Bridge, Melcher's Grist Mill, Deppen Cemetery, several memorials and gardens. The Center is open seasonally and offers tours of the historic buildings.