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http://www.pagodaskyline.org/skyline/
The original building of the wall was funded and constructed by the Federal government under the Administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his creation of the W.P.A. The workers constructed the magnificent wall in 1939 that extends the length of Skyline Drive. The wall begins at Reading's most famous landmark, the world-famous Pagoda, and past the equally prominent landmark, the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower in Lower Alsace Township. The wall extends to Mcknight's Gap Road in Alsace Township, where it curves around Oak Lane.
The details of the wall and the areas where the repairs are needed are as follows:
The Stone Wall was formed by part of a Rock Quarry located on the eastern slope of Mount Penn. The wall is approximately 2 feet wide by 3 feet high. This stone wall is dry cast in place and is squared in slope and style. There are approximately 2.5 miles of stone wall that extend across Skyline Drive and at certain places, becoming a double-run. A wall area is also located behind the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower. In addition, the wall extends about one mile in each direction of Oak Lane and List Road. There are three lookouts located on the road, which provides a spectacular view of the City of Reading.
The wall lies on roads of bends and curves, elevations and descent, reaching a summit of 1200 feet above sea level with grades of approximately 3 - 10% across the drive and road widths of 35-80 feet .
Due to natural erosion and general wear with age, the wall has been crumbling in some areas and needs immediate repair work. The restoration will involve stabilizing the bank with 3:1 slopes. At these locations, the wall must be dismantled to allow placement of fill and re-establishment of ground cover. With the new foundation in place, the wall can be rebuilt.
The United States is one of the most diverse countries on earth, jam packed full of amazing sights from St. Patrick's cathedral in New York to Mount Hollywood California.The Northeast region is where it all started. Thirteen British colonies fought the American Revolution from here and won their independence in the first successful colonial rebellion in history. Take a look at these rolling hills carpeted with foliage along the Hudson river here, north of New York City.The American south is known for its polite people and slow pace of life. Probably they move slowly because it's so hot. Southerners tend not to trust people from "up north" because they talk too fast. Here's a cemetery in Georgia where you can find graves of soldiers from the Civil War.The West Coast is sort of like another country that exists to make the east coast jealous. California is full of nothing but grizzly old miners digging for gold, a few gangster rappers, and then actors. That is to say, the West Coast functions as the imagination of the US, like a weird little brother who teases everybody then gets famous for making freaky art.The central part of the country is flat farmland all the way over to the Rocky Mountains. Up in the northwest corner you can find creative people in places like Portland and Seattle, along with awesome snowboarding and good beer. Text by Steve Smith.
