Reading Company Grain Elevator

The Reading Company Grain Elevator is a grain storage facility in Center City featuring solid concrete towers and multiple storage chambers rising into Philadelphia's skyline. Built in 1925, it combines functional industrial design with sturdy construction typical of that era.

The building replaced an earlier structure from the Civil War era that was destroyed by a grain explosion in 1925. The Reading Railroad rebuilt the grain storage facility after this devastating incident.

The structure represents Philadelphia's industrial past, when grain storage facilities formed essential connections between farm production and city commerce. Visitors can still see traces of this economic role in the building's design today.

The building is located on 20th Street in downtown Philadelphia and now functions as office space under the name 'The Granary'. Following its 1986 renovation, visitors can explore the architecture from outside and view the industrial structure within the urban setting.

During renovations in the 1970s, the grain elevator's machinery towers were converted into a penthouse apartment. The transformation brought terraces and a swimming pool to the roof of the former industrial building.

Location: Pennsylvania

GPS coordinates: 39.96111,-75.17167

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:00