What’s in a name?
As we prepare to celebrate the return of seasonal traditions you may notice a small change in language that we’re using to talk about the Observatory building that Patterson Park is known for. Over the past 100 years or so, it has become attached to a nickname – “the Pagoda” – that has become common usage. As with any nickname, sometimes we grow out of them.
The Friends has recently been working with a group called Baltimore Asian Resistance in Solidarity (BARS) to take a closer look at this nickname and potential alternatives that will help tell the building’s story more clearly. The Observatory building is not a true pagoda, in the sense that pagodas have important religious and cultural connotations. It mimics the style of one, as was popular in the United States at the time of its construction in 1892.
As we move forward, the Friends will be returning to calling the building the Patterson Park Observatory – its original name - and rethinking the many ways we have used the “Pagoda” designation as shorthand. We’ll also be working on an exterior historic marker that discusses the history of the building along with additional opportunities to dive into education opportunities around the building’s history. We think these changes will benefit all park users and help us continue to make the park a more welcoming space for all visitors.
If you’d like to read more about the BARS position and their requests related to the Observatory, please click here for their statement and here for our response.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to Jennifer Robinson at friends@pattersonpark.com.