MT PENN PAGODA
Spatial/elevation data
| Coordinates | N 40.336074° W 75.905649° |
| Elevation | Unknown |
| Location | Pennsylvania
Berks County Reading Quad |
Mark description
| Type | Landmark/Intersection Station |
| Setting | Finial |
| Monumented | 1942 by NGS |
| Description (NGS) | NGS Datasheet |
Narrative and photographs
At first I couldn’t imagine what the “MT PENN PAGODA” was. Maybe a restaurant or a picnic pavilion? But no, it’s an actual Japanese-style pagoda erected, for some reason, atop Mt. Penn looking out over the city of Reading.
According to https://www.readingpagoda.com/, the pagoda was built with the intention of becoming a hotel, but those plans never materialized. In 1911, five years after its construction, the pagoda was sold to the City of Reading, whose citizens have operated and cared for it ever since. They offer tours and host small events, and the pagoda houses a gift shop and small cafe. It wasn’t open when we visited, so we didn’t get to check out the interior. There are walkways at different levels surrounding the exterior and some rustic paths in the woods that allow for viewing of the pagoda from various angles.
Our research (based on old photographs and postcards) indicates that the pagoda has not been significantly modified since its construction, so we feel confident in saying that as a landmark station, the pagoda’s finial remains in good condition, as described in the original 1942 recovery note.
