The Endicott-Johnson Pumphouse Pagoda at the start of (2018) and after (2019) restoration.
A half century after being shuttered, a Johnson City landmark has new life. getting a new lease on life. The historic pagoda at C. Fred Johnson Park was restored in 2019 with a $125,000 grant secured by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. Built around 1929 under the guidance of C. Fred Johnson to serve as a pump house for E-J’s nearby factories. Johnson chose the style of the building because of his affinity for Japanese architecture. Workers who built the pump house included various items from E-J factories and recreation halls in its masonry. Items embedded in the walls include a fire extinguisher, a bowling pin, and pieces of factory machinery.
The pump house ceased its operation in the 1960s when E-J began trimming its area factory operations. Restoration included a new roof, windows with protective metal bars, a new door, a patio with seating, and lights on the outside. Inside the pagoda, repairs to plasterwork were completed and additional lighting was installed. The building’s original bell, which was previously in storage, has also returned to the pagoda.