History of Richmond Township

Before the establishment of Berks County in 1752, Richmond was a district in Philadelphia County. It was called Musseeley, which was derived from Maschilamehanne, an American Indian word for "trout stream," and the name given to the springs and creek along what would become Kutztown Road.

In time, Musseeley became Moselem.

When Berks County was formed, Richmond became one of its first townships, named for a place in England by Quakers who were attracted by William Penn's promise of opportunity. Other early settlers came from Germany, France and Switzerland.

Richmond became known for some of the finest farms in the county and it contained utilitarian mills. But iron ore figured most prominently in the township's development. The Moselem, Rothermel and Heffner mines were among the most productive of the 18th century and the Moselem Forge was in operation as early as 1767.

In the mid-1800s Nicholas Hunter acquired a small furnace on Moselem Creek. Over time, production was increased, a new furnace was built and more and more of the nearby timberland was used as a source of charcoal.

By 1856 the hamlet that was growing around the furnace had its own post office, first named Nora for one of Hunter's children, then Moselem. A railroad siding from Moselem station served the furnace, which was bought and sold several times throughout the last half of the century. It went out of blast in 1883, but the plant continued to grow and in 1885 it included the furnace and its buildings, several mills, a store, a hotel, an iron master's mansion, about 40 tenement houses and three farms on 700 acres.

The most significant Moselem ore beds were owned by John G. Gloss and later by Samuel and John G. Kaufman.

Other villages in the township were Walnuttown, named for a cluster of trees in the area; Moselem Springs; Coxtown, which later became the Borough of Fleetwood; Virginsville - now Virginville - a station on the Berks & Lehigh Railroad; Kirbyville; and Kempville.

Ultimately, the settlers of Richmond left a farming legacy; much of the township's land remains dedicated to agricultural use.

Crystal Cave
Crystal Cave was discovered - by accident - about three miles from Virginville in 1871. The property owner's son William Merkel and a helper were quarrying rock when a blast revealed an opening in the hill on which they were working. Upon exploration, the cave was found to be unexpectedly large and rich with geological formations.

Shortly after the cave's discovery, Samuel D.F. Kohler leased and then bought the property and opened it to the public for tours, accommodating visitors with a hotel he built near the cave entrance. For a time those visitors vandalized the cave, taking chunks of rock as souvenirs. The practice was put to an end and much of the cave's beauty was preserved.

In the early 20th century, the Crystal Cave Co. Inc. of Kutztown bought the attraction, advertised it heavily and made many improvements, including an upgrade of the lighting made possible by a special electric line from Hamburg to the cave. Thousands from around the globe have toured the cave, which is still open to the public and owned by Crystal Cave Co. Inc.


By Susan Miers Smith (Reading Eagle)