page_title: Reading Artillerists
section_title: Post-Civil War
hierarchical_section_title: Reading Artillerists / Post-Civil War
caption_attribution_description: English: During the 1890s and early 1900s, Keystone Hall on Penn Street in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania served as the headquarters and armory of the Pennsylvania militia unit known as the Reading Artillerists (1897, public domain).
context_page_description: The Reading Artillerists was a militia organization founded in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania during the late 18th century. Mustering in for the first time during the presidential era of George Washington, members of this artillery unit went on to serve tours of duty in the War of 1812, Mexican–American War and, as members of the Union army of the United States, during the American Civil War, before disbanding. Having determined that Reading needed to improve its military readiness, civic leaders of the 1880s authorized the formation of a new artillery unit, and also chose to name it as "Reading Artillerists" in deference to the original unit's storied history. That militia unit then mustered in for the Spanish–American War, and continued its service during the early part of the 20th century.
context_section_description: Following their honorable discharges from their respective Union Army regiments at the end of the U.S. Civil War, the Reading Artillerists returned home to Berks County. Their taste for military life soured by their long and difficult service, its members decided to disband.
  Roughly 15 years later, civic leaders determined that the city should have a more robust defense force and, in May 1881, created an entirely new militia unit, but chose to give it an historic name. According to The Reading Eagle:
  Last evening the new military company of this city held a meeting and adopted the name of 'Reading Artillerists,' in honor of the organization of the same name that was one of the first miitary companies in this county after the revolution. The new company filed their bond in the sum of $1,000 yesterday and expect to receive their uniforms and arms shortly.
  The same publication then announced in early December of that same year that the Artillerists were "having one of the rooms in their armory, second floor of Library hall, handomely furnished and equipped."
  The carpet has already been laid. ... The room has been newly papered and a new gun rack erected. A beautiful cabinet desk has already been purchased. A novelty in the line of furniture will be introduced – upholstered camp stools, which are very comfortable. When completed, the room will present as handsome an appearance as any of the kind in the city.
  In 1882, The Reading Eagle documented growing community support for the organization:
  Among those present at the meeting held at the Reading Artillerists' armory, Fifth and Franklin Streets, last evening, for the purpose of forming a citizens' committee to give aid to the coming bazaar of the company to raise funds with which to build an armory, were Gen. Gregg, Mayor Rowe, P. R. Stetson, S. E. Ancona, Chester N. Farr, Henry M. Keim, Esq., Thomas Bohannon, T. D. Stichter, J. T. Valentine, A. K. Stauffer, and H. Willis Bland, Esq., Postmaster Grant, Dr. W. Murray Weidman, Andrew Shaaber, Capt. Savage and several officers and privates of the Artillerists. Gen. Gregg was called to the chair and Col. Farr was made secretary. The chairman stated the object of the meeting, spoke of the necessity of having an armory here, and said that, although the Artillerists were in their infancy, they had already won a record of which they could justly proud. He paid a high compliment to Capt. Savage, who is at the head of the company.
  Per an 1883 Reading Times report, the reconstituted group chose Samuel Stahr as their new commanding officer. As membership grew, the new Reading Artillerists became a visible fixture in the community. During the summer of 1886, The Reading Eagle alerted readers to the group's plans for regular cannon training sessions:
  The Reading Artillerists will have a target practice on their range at Bernhart's Crossing, next Thursday afternoon. Every week for some time they will have a practice. This is done for the purpose of having them qualify in the State National Guard. Capt. Christoph will recruit the Artillerists to the full quota, 63 men. At present he has 12 vacancies to fill and will accept that number of recruits.
  In 1887, leaders of the Reading Artillerists purchased the former Metropolitan Bank building on South Sixth Street in Reading to use as their organization's headquarters and armory, and then contracted with a local architect, K. K. Moll, to make improvements to the structure, according to multiple Reading Times updates that year, including one which noted that the building would be "lighted by the Seibel gas enriching apparatus." 
  The redesign and remodeling of the building was done on such a large scale, in fact, that newspapers changed their references to the building from being located "on South Sixth street" to being "on Penn street above Seventh." Per the February 11, 1890 Reading Times, the Reading Artillerists also chose to rename the building as "Keystone Hall".
caption: During the 1890s and early 1900s, Keystone Hall on Penn Street in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania served as the headquarters and armory of the Pennsylvania militia unit known as the Reading Artillerists (1897, public domain).
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