History

Commissioned in 1906 at a cost of $50,000 by William A. Witman, Sr. to cover his stone quarry, the Pagoda was completed in 1908.  It was orginally intended to be a luxury resort atop Mt. Penn, but due to the bank foreclosure and the denial of a liquor license, Witman never opened the Pagoda.  By 1910 the Pagoda and surrounding 10 acres were deeded to local business owner, Jonathon Mould and his wife, Julia (Bell).  On April 21, 1911 they "sold" the Pagoda to the City of Reading for the sum of $1.  Since then the Pagoda has been owned, loved and cared for by the citizens and City of Reading.

Interesting Pagoda facts ...

• It is 7 stories high, 28 feet wide, 50 feet long - standing 620 feet above the City of Reading and 866 feet above sea level

• Walls are 5 feet thick at the base tapering to 2 feet thick at the top of the second floor, from there to the top, they are frame-covered with terra-cotta shingles - there are 60 tons of tiles on the Pagoda

• Anchored to the mountainside the 16 tons of bolts

• Inside walls are concrete plaster, all the trim and stairways are solid oak

• There are a total of 87 steps to the top

• Only Pagoda in the world with a fireplace and chimney

• Before the days of radio broadcasting, lights flashed as signals to the people of Reading.  Morse Code was used to direct fireman, promote fundraising campaigns and give the public results of sporting events.  The Code was based on the lights - a white light was a dash, while a red light was a dot

• The bell on the 7th floor was cast in Japan in 1739.  It was purchased by Witman in 1906 ans shipped via the Suez Canal to New York Harbor, and arrived in Reading on May 5, 1907 by rail

• The fish sculptures on the roof are to protect the Pagoda from fire

• Every year at 9pm on Christmas Eve the Pagoda lights flash to let the children know that Santa is on his way