1874

24 June 1874
Grand Opening of the Berks County Railroad (linking Reading and Slatington; work on the railroad had begun in the spring of 1872) See the coverage from The Slatington News

The New Presbyterian Church on Main Street (original dated to 1854-55)
According to The Slatington News, 3 June 1874
NEW CHURCH
The Presbyterian Congregation of this place, having for some time been discussing the matter of erecting a new Church, have at length determined to proceed,, and on Saturday will commence to dig the foundation for it.
The new edifice will be set on the lot now occupied by the old one, but further back and more in the center of the lot.  This is a nice location for a church, and when a neat new building is erected it will add much to the appearance of that part of the town and still more to the comfort of the worshipers. The old building was of stone, has stood just twenty years and is now in an very dilapidated condition, the walls having given way in several places.
The new building is to be a wooden structure having a front of 38 feet and a depth of 62 feet with spire in center in front, and pulpit recess in rear. The committee who have the work in charge are Messrs. D. D. Jones, Robert McDowell, D. D. Roper, Jesse Labar and Samuel Caskie. They are all enterprising men and will no doubt see that the work is rapidly pushed to completion.

According to The Slatington News, 26 August 1874
CORNER-STONE LAYING
The exercises of the laying of the Corner-Stone of the new Presbyterian Church, on Main street, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6th, which are expected to be very interesting. A more extended notice will be given in our next.

According to The Slatington News, 7 October 1874:
BLOWN OVER
On Tuesday evening, between nine and ten o’clock, the equilibrium of our citizens was disturbed all of a sudden by a loud crash in the direction of the new Presbyterian Church building, as if the entire structure had been raised to the ground. A high wind prevailed at the time, accompanied by rain earlier in the evening, and as the time mentioned, a fierce gale was blowing, causing the destruction of the entire spire-frame, and the whole temporary structure for putting it up, and breaking the strong timbers into many pieces. The heavy timbers of the spire were not yet sufficiently braced and bolted to make it secure against such a force, and the large amount of lumber used for the scaffolding, but added to the force of the irresistible element in its work of destruction. We understand that the church was moved back seven inches on the foundation by the fall of the spire-frame. Early the next morning men were at work cleaning away the debris, and making ready for the re-erection of the spire as rapidly as possible. We are sorry that the Church and congregation should be so soon meet with such a loss in their enterprise. But, according to the old saying, “it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.”

The new church was finally dedicated in 1876.