146 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
CHARLES EVANS CEMETERY, READING, PA. 
Charles Evans Ceme- 
tery, to which consider- 
able interest has always 
attached, is the leading 
cemetery of Reading, Pa. 
It is beautifully located, 
commanding a panorama 
of scenery, including part 
of the city itself, with 
Mount Penn in the back 
ground, so characteristic 
of that part 
of Pennsyl- 
vania. 
It was 
founded by 
Charles Ev- 
ans, a public 
spirited citi- 
zen of Read- 
ing, and a 
well-kn own 
Pennsy lvan- 
ian lawyer, 
who, having 
no children 
cast about 
him to de- 
vise some scheme of disposing of a portion of his 
property which would redound to the benefit of the 
people of Reading. This finally took the form of 
establishing a cemetery, and not leaving it for 
others to carry out, he selected a site, purchased the 
land and appointed trustees of his choice. 
MONUMENT TO CHARLES EVANS. 
THE PAVILION. 
The necessary steps having been taken, to in- 
corporate the trustees, the Charles Evans Cemetery 
Company was organized March 28, 1846, and Mr. 
Evans conveyed to it some 25 acres of land. A 
cash gift was then made of $2,000, a further be- 
quest of $10,000 in money was made in his will, 
besides six-eighths of the residue of his estate, which 
upon final settlement reached the sum of sixty-seven 
thousand dollars, making with the land a total en- 
dowment of over eighty-four thousand dollars. He 
died September 5, 1847 in the eightieth year of h i 
THE CHAPEL. 
age and was buried in the cemetery he endowed. 
The original plat of the grounds was made by 
Messrs. Carver & Hall, which plan in all essential 
features has been carried out. To the 25 acres pro- 
vided by Mr. Evans, there has since been added 
some 28 acres additional. The main entrance with 
building attached, built of red sandstone of Gothic 
design, was constructed in 1847-49 at a cost of 
$18,879,78. 
In 1852 work was begun on the chapel, which 
is illustrated herewith. It is built of red freestone 
in the second-pointed gothic style, and is a much 
admired structure. It was designed by John M. 
Gries, a Philadelphia architect, whose career was 
cut short at the battle of Fair Oaks. The interior 
of the chapel is 53 feet long by 30 feet wide, di- 
vided into aisles and a nave, separated by four 
