Reading Iron Company

The Reading Iron Company began as the Reading Iron and Nail Works in 1836, and was founded by Benneville Keim, James Whittaker and Simon Seyfert. At that time a rolling mill and nail factory were located between the Schuylkill Canal and the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad at the bottom of 7th Street. After financial problems in 1889 the organization was renamed the Reading Iron Company. One of the plants of the Reading Iron Company was the Scott Foundry which had made guns during the Civil War, including the Brown Segmental Wire gun and the 10-inch Roman gun.