1908    W. Howard Schwartz opened for business at 538 Penn Avenue in West Reading, PA.  Previously, he had been an apothecary from his home, which was about one block to the east.  Mr. Schwartz renovated the business, a converted residence, expanding the store across the front lawn, doubling its frontage.  He and his wife Mable lived upstairs.  A trolley line stopped a few doors down at the corner, bringing customers for pharmaceuticals, sundries and the soda fountain which was packed daily with ice and salt in the early days of refrigeration.  Mr. Schwartz began a hundred year tradition with the West Reading Drug Store name making deliveries.  "Howie" packed prescriptions in a market basket and took them to customers' homes on foot.

1923   Warren Lucien "Pete" Peters purchased the West Reading Drug Store from Howard Schwartz.  In keeping with physicians' practice of No Wednesday office hours, he closed the store most Wednesday afternoons. 

      Pete began offering gift cards, gifts and ladies cosmetics.  He also refurbished and extended the soda fountain to 17feet, with adjacent table seating.

                1948    Paul Griffith purchased West Reading Drug Store from Pete Peters, who became a great friend and mentor throughout his life.

1949 - 1955        Renovations and updates included new fluorescent lighting, sewer connection, installation of a sink in the drug room, metal drug drawers, magazine racks, a fan, oil furnace, and finally, to the delight of fountain customers, the first air conditioning.  New card racks were custom designed and lit, which were stained and finished at home.

Mid to late 50's    Hope Griffith, the owners wife and partner, developed new gift lines and displays.  From Hummel to West Virginia Glass, Colonial Candles and new fragrances, it was a classic, trendy, affordable and chic place to shop.

1956    The prescription room was fully remodeled.  A "window" was cut for a pass-through for direct contact and consultations with customers.  The soda fountain had become a drug store relic, and was replaced with an ice cream freezer and expanded gift offerings.

1957    Lewis "Louie" Renavota came to the drug store adding a second full-time registered pharmacist to the staff.

September 1958    The store front was transformed.  Plate glass was replaced with colonial bay windows, and the worn doorstep with a carpeted ramp.

August 1961     Wall to wall oxford gray carpeting was installed covering the original terrazzo floor.

Early 1960's    Temple University School of Pharmacy students A.O. "Ivy" Berkis and Doug Brunner came to work at the drug store as part-time pharmacist assistants.  After graduation and passing the state boards, Ivy joined the staff as a full-time registered pharmacist.

December 1963    Today's Business featured the West Reading Drug Store, noting their merchandise displays and clean open presentations were key factors in the modernizations that "paid for themselves in two and a half years".

Mid 1960's     Renovations enabled the store to expand the pharmacy services to area nursing homes and convalescent centers.  The growing business called for additional employees who included full-time clerks, a delivery and maintenance person, and another full-time pharmacist.  Part-time employees were also hired to cover evenings, weekends, and summer vacations.

Summer 1968     New construction extended the store building 93 feet towards the rear alley.  This renovation expanded the store and storage space roughly one and one half times its original size.  The prescription room was relocated to the new addition, which allowed a dividing wall to be removed maximizing complete customer interaction with the pharmacy staff.

November 1969     Updates to the store front included replacing the second floor apartment windows with an overall brick facade and colonial moldings.  The exterior door to the second floor apartment, now converted to storage space, was renovated with display windows.  New custom signage was also added creating street visibilty.

December 1969     Paul Griffith hires 16 year old Jim Levan as an emergency replacement for a store clerk who suffered a heart attack.  Jim continued to work through high school and college in various positions which included stock boy, delivery person, and clerk and pharmacy technician.

February 1, 1975     A.O. "Ivy" Berkis purchased the store from Paul Griffith.

November 1976     Jim Levan begins work as a registered pharmacist for Ivy.

June 1977     Sandi Ludwig comes from St. Joseph Hospital to work as the first full- time pharmacy technician.

September 1977     The drug store becomes involved with the Temple School of Pharmacy to have students do their community pharmacy rotation.  Upon graduation, many of the students became employed by us, or worked in the Reading area.  Notables are Joe Fister and Michael Bernardo.  Joe was our first pharmacy student in 1977, and is currently the Pharmacy Operations Director at St. Joseph Hospital in Reading.  Mike was a student in 1997, and is now a full-time pharmacist at the drug store.

 1980     The first computer was installed in the pharmacy.  This technology enabled us to expand and grow into other areas of interest.  We developed a connection with local assisted living centers and nursing homes as well as hospice services and the Berks County Prison.  This expansion also enabled us to offer different medication delivery systems such as blister packs, medi-planners and unit dosing.

 1983     We entered the electronic age installing a credit card machine for charges.

Spring 1995     Nicole Ruane was hired as a part-time pharmacist.

Fall 1995     The original pharmacy computer system installed in 1980 was replaced.

January 29, 2000     James D. "Jim" Levan purchased the store from Ivy Berkis.

January 2001     Nicole Ruane starts as a full-time pharmacist.

May  2001     Mike Bernardo joins Nicole and Jim as a full-time pharmacist.

August 2001     A decision was made to discontinue selling tobacco products which prompted Jim to remodel the front section of the store and update various store displays.

September 2006     The pharmacy computer system was replaced for the fourth time.

     The chronicle of the West Reading Drug Store will continue, and as with any life history there have been too many employees whose hard work has enabled the drug store to remain viable today.  We are proud of all of our loyal and hard working employees, past and present, and thank them for all that they have done.