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Table of Contents

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A small founding city of Reading in Berks County Pennsylvania placed a Japanese style hotel and restaurant 886 ft. above the city.

5 Bringing Japanese Culture into Your Back YardLearn simple ways to redesign your backyard to mimic a japanese garden.

12 Oriental Architecture Around The GlobeTake a look at Oriental inspired architecture in many countries.

17 The Most Important Animal In Japanese ArchitectureIs it the Lion, Dolphin, or Monkey that you will find in every Japanese structure.

32 Bold Style Makes a Big HomeWay to upgrade your home architecturally with little demolition.

37 Old Style or New Style? Professional architects discuss the pros and cons of new and old style architecture.

48 Low Rise, The New High Rise?New Companies sticking to the ground in their minimalist building style.

56 Restoration for Frank Lloyd Wright’s HomesTalking about restoration ideas for some of Frank Lloyd Wrights most famous homes.

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A small founding city of Reading in Berks County Pennsylvania placed a Japanese style hotel and restaurant 886 ft. above the city.

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The Reading Pagoda in the mid 1960’s.

At the turn of the century, William Abbott Witman Sr. bought ten acres on the southern tip of Mt. Penn. It was his intention to quarry its stone. However, his stone quarrying operation defaced the look of the mountain side. He suffered public criticism and was finally persuaded to abandon his operation.

Witman was then shown a postcard of the Philippines by his friend Charles C. Matz, who had then just returned from the Spanish-American War. The oriental structure fascinated Witman so much that he hired Charles Matz and his father James Matz to build a similar structure. It was his idea to replace the damage left by the stone quarry. This new pagoda was intended to be a luxury hotel.

In 1908 his “resort” became reality. A red brick and tile pagoda built in the style of a battle castle of the Shogun Dynasty of

Japan stood above the city. The interior had red and yellow tile floors and a majestic oak staircase leading to the upper floors. A shachihoko (dolphin) was poised on the rooftop and a Japanese temple gateway, known as a torii, graces the entrance.

Unfortunately, the ensuing application for a license to serve alcohol was denied. As a result, the luxury inn never materialized and the building went into the hands of a local bank.

In 1910, the land and the seven-storied pagoda were sold to Jonathan Mould, a prominent businessman. After one year, Mould and his wife resold the pagoda and the surrounding ten acres to the City of Reading for the sum of one dollar.

The Reading Pagoda after preservation in 2012.

In 1910, the land and the seven-storied pagoda were sold to Jonathan Mould, a prominent businessman. After one year, Mould and his wife resold the pagoda and the surrounding ten acres to the City of Reading for the sum of one dollar.

William A. Witman Sr. ordered the bell through the A. A. Valentine Agency of Broadway New York, an Photo by D.P. Reinert exporter and importer. The bell traveled through the Suez Canal and reached New York on April 19, 1907. Traveling from New York by railroad, it arrived in Reading on May 5, 1907.

The bell was cast in Obata in 1739 by a man named Mikawaya, who along with 47 other men, presented it to Shozenji (Buddhist Temple) at Yakuosan, now part of Tokyo. Several different translations have been made of the bell’s inscription; however, most scholars agree that the inscription contains the names of the bell’s donors and a prophesy regarding the end of time.

Unfortunately, the ensuing application for a license to serve alcohol was denied. As a result the local bank was robbed.

“Before the days of regular radio broadcasting, lights flashed as signals from the Pagoda to the people of Reading.”

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Japan Coming to Reading Preserving the Symbol

Renovated limestone railings that replaced wooden ones.

Golden Lions on each point of the Pagoda.

Before the days of regular radio broadcasting, lights flashed as signals from the Pagoda to the people of Reading. On other occasions, signals were given to further fundraising campaigns and inform the public of the most recent developments in the drive for funds. They were also used to give results of sporting events, such as prize fights and World Series.

The Reading Pagoda is the only Pagoda with a chiminey and fireplace. The Chimey and fireplace was a part of the original design to American-ize the Reading Pagoda.

Two golden dolphins were placed upon the roof of the building to bring luck and good fortune to the city and building.

The golden lions were placed on each point of the pagoda. These were updated and replaced in 1954 when the outside of the building was restored.

The tiles are made of terracotta and most of them are still the original ones from 1908 when the Pagoda was built.