619 N 5th St Reading, PA 19601

An outstanding home which exemplifies 1880's Victorian, Queen Anne architecture. The home is located in Center Park Place, Reading, PA which is known for it's mansion estates. In it's day the Centre Park district was home to some of the most successful people in Berks County. This home was built by James W. Yocum around 1880. Mr. Yocum and his brother, William H. Yocum were two of the most well respected businessmen in the region. They owned Yocum Brothers Cigars which employed Five hundred skilled workers in the immense factory at the corner of Walnut and Seventh streets, the yearly product amounting to as much as 20,000,000 cigars, disposed of in various markets throughout the United States. James W. Yocum traveled to Europe extensively. Many of the amenities of this home are a product of his experiences there. For example, the ceiling of the parlor has a quatrefoil patterned design. This pattern was popular in English castles from the 1500's. Quartersawn oak, which was used on the floors, doors, railings, built-in cabinetry, ceiling accents and extravagant trim accents, of this home, was a key feature of the decorative style of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Quartersawn boards have two advantages: they are more resistant against warping with changes in moisture. The second advantage of quartersawn wood is the decorative pattern on the board. Flat sawn wood (especially oak) will often display a prominent wavy grain (sometimes called a cathedral-window pattern) caused by the saw cutting at a tangent to a growth ring; since in quartersawn wood the saw cuts across the growth rings, the visible grain is much straighter; it is this evenness of the grain that gives quartersawn wood its greater stability. As one would expect, only the wealthy could this home Stafford to accessorize a home with quartersawn oak. The foyer is styled after old English guest waiting rooms. It houses one of the three fireplaces residing in the home and built-in seating. The railings leading to the second and third floors of the home along with the foyer woodwork and double entrance door wreak of American art nouveau styling. The great home photos display the rich craftsmanship of the period that is on display in this home. It has 10 parking spaces and a 4-car garage/carriage home on the grounds. This is a home is timeless, rich and unlike any other. Serious inquiries only.