Town Historian:

• Barbara H. Bell

Phone: (607) 535-4577

Mailing Address:
3460 County Rte 28
Watkins Glen, NY 14891

Town of Reading

The Town of Reading (pronounced Red-ing) was formed in 1806.  It was formed from land which had been Fredericktown in Steuben County to the west.  The first town meeting was held that year.  In 1824, part of Reading was transferred to the Town of  Starkey in Yates County, north of what became Schuyler County in 1854.

Reading borders Seneca Lake on the west and includes a portion of the village of Watkins Glen, which is the seat of Schuyler County.  The picturesque hills of the Town have a number of glens, arising as seeps, marshes or running streams, that flow to Seneca Lake.  Many of these powered pioneer grain and saw mills.

The Preemption Line, which runs from the Pennsylvania border beyond the north end of Seneca Lake involving several townships, including Reading, is the dividing line drawn in settling years, to determine land claims of both Massachusetts and New York.  Today this line now called Preemption Road separates the town of Reading from the Town of Tyrone.

Pioneers chose to settle in Reading for its arable lands, available wood for homes and fuel, prime fishing and wild game.  Most settlers came from New England, but the Town’s name was suggested by a family who happened to come from Reading, Pennsylvania.

Markers in the Town denote houses that were used in the Underground Railway as stations for escaped slaves on their way to freedom in Canada.  In the archives of the Town with a starting date of 1806, a register of earmarks exists in which pioneers notched the ears of their livestock to denote ownership.  On the back side of this same book is a record of bounties that was paid by the Town to recruits during Civil War years.  Many family names are still recognizable because their descendants still reside in the Township or surrounding area.           

Gone are the drover’s taverns and stagecoach inns.  They have been replaced with motels, restaurants, and bed and breakfast homes.  Tourism and hospitality is one of the major industries of Reading.

Typical of pre-auto settlement, Reading had general stores, blacksmiths, schools every few miles, two churches and three or four post offices.  Before centralizing with the Watkins Glen school system, the Town of Reading had eight school districts.  In early years of the last century, Reading had a band and a library.  The band was defunct by World War I and after World War II, the library became the Town Hall until two years ago when a new Town Hall was built because the capacity of the Town had outgrown the former place.  In the early 1940’s, the churches combined to become a Community Church as we know it today.

Two railroad lines operate through Reading for freight usage. Four natural gas, and LP gas pipelines transverse the town, including the Empire Connector, part of the Millennium Pipeline project. U.S. Salt, which draws from a vast underground salt supply, is the major employer within the town. Teppco, and NYSEG have underground LP and natural gas storage facilities. BMS Manufacturing, a metal fabrication and machining company is another major employer within the town.  Farming is still being conducted with wineries becoming a major factor in the area’s economy.  Very fine wines are being produced by the local growers.   Wine tours and tasting are held every week end of the year and daily throughout the tourist season.

One post office still remains on Rte. 14A in the heart of Reading Center.  The Charles Lamont Stamp Office Complex (new Town Hall) containing all Town offices is on  Schuyler County Rte. #28 leading in to Reading Center.  Rounding out the complex is the Town Highway Garage situated on State Route 14A.  Town government consists of a supervisor, four councilmen, a superintendent of highways, clerk and tax collector, two justices, code enforcement officer, assessor, bookkeeper, health officer, and historian.

This information was supplied by the County and Town Historian Barbara Bell.  For a more through history of the earliest years of settlement of the Town of Reading, please refer to the 1879 publication of Everts and Ensign which is at our County museum on Rte 14 at Montour Falls, New York.