09/02/2026
Last year, Danny and I took a grueling walk up the side of Mount Penn to reach the incredible Reading Pagoda 🏯📸 — because of course, we wanted to give her a proper photoshoot! 😂 We were shocked 😳 when we finally reached the top, half dead from the hike, only to find the Pagoda completely surrounded by construction and sitting on supports! 🤣 We took a few shots, and our absolute disappointment carried us right back down Mount Penn. 😂😂😂
But when we heard that this incredible landmark was getting the restoration she so desperately deserved, we knew one thing...
WE WOULD BE BACK. ❤️
🏯 The Pagoda was originally built between 1906 and 1908 by businessman William Abbott Witman Sr. It was inspired by Japanese architecture and was intended to be part of a much larger dream—a mountaintop resort overlooking the City of Reading. This never happened. The resort struggled before it ever truly became what Witman envisioned, and eventually the property foreclosed. In 1910, businessman Jonathan Mould purchased the Pagoda, and in 1911, he and his wife Julia gave the Pagoda and surrounding property to the City of Reading for just $1. ❤️ The Pagoda has stood for 100 years!
A massive restoration project began in 2025, bringing major upgrades and repairs to the historic structure—from electrical and plumbing systems to HVAC, fire protection, masonry, structural work, and small details to remain.
So this time around, our trip was joined by my kids, Isabelle and Rowan, their father Matt, and of course, Danny! 📸🥰 Matt enjoys photography too, so there was an entire group of us completely geared up and ready for this amazing hike! We made our way up past Peace Rock, which at this time of year is completely covered by foliage 🌿🍃—but don't worry, we'll definitely be returning in the winter to photograph more of that beautiful site!
My daughter Isabelle absolutely loves wilderness hikes so she spent the hike just enjoying the scenes... And then there was Rowan... He got his first camera on this trip - it's something he asked for and we couldn't resist. He spent the entire adventure documenting everything. 📸😂
At one point, I heard him yell:
"We're not gonna make it! We have no water or anything!" 😳
So naturally, Mom immediately went into survival mode: "It's gonna be okay, buddy! We'll be fine!"
To which he replied...
"Mom, I'm making a survival video documentary episode 4. We might not make it!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
So I left him to his documentary-making capabilities, and thankfully... when we finally made it to the Pagoda, the documentary came to an end. 😂🏯
And WOW... ✨ The Pagoda looked incredible. ✨ After seeing it surrounded by construction during our first visit, I was absolutely thrilled to finally see the finished restoration. The craftsmanship, effort, and attention put into preserving this historic landmark were truly incredible. ❤️
The Reading Pagoda has gone from a dream of a mountaintop resort that never came to life... to one of the most recognizable symbols in our area. More than 100 years later, it is still standing proudly over Reading. 🏯❤️
And this time... WE FINALLY got to give her that proper photoshoot. 📸🥰
Thank you to everyone involved in preserving and restoring this incredible piece of Pennsylvania history. We can't wait to see what the future holds for the Reading
Pagoda! ❤️🏯✨
Reading, Pennsylvania 🗣️
Berks County
📸 HD Photography