diff --git a/include/openmc/mesh.h b/include/openmc/mesh.h
index 52f64701b..c690dc4fe 100644
--- a/include/openmc/mesh.h
+++ b/include/openmc/mesh.h
@@ -359,8 +359,7 @@ public:
   void to_hdf5(hid_t group) const override;
 
   array<vector<double>, 3> grid_;
-  array<double, 3> origin_;
-
+  Position origin_;
 
   int set_grid();
 
@@ -415,7 +414,7 @@ public:
   void to_hdf5(hid_t group) const override;
 
   array<vector<double>, 3> grid_;
-  array<double, 3> origin_;
+  Position origin_;
 
   int set_grid();
 
diff --git a/include/openmc/xml_interface.h b/include/openmc/xml_interface.h
index d96bb6cc2..bd6554c13 100644
--- a/include/openmc/xml_interface.h
+++ b/include/openmc/xml_interface.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "xtensor/xadapt.hpp"
 #include "xtensor/xarray.hpp"
 
+#include "openmc/position.h"
 #include "openmc/vector.h"
 
 namespace openmc {
@@ -49,5 +50,8 @@ xt::xarray<T> get_node_xarray(
   return xt::adapt(v, shape);
 }
 
+Position get_node_position(
+  pugi::xml_node node, const char* name, bool lowercase = false);
+
 } // namespace openmc
 #endif // OPENMC_XML_INTERFACE_H
diff --git a/src/mesh.cpp b/src/mesh.cpp
index 982b2e2dc..e9c185c8f 100644
--- a/src/mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh.cpp
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ CylindricalMesh::CylindricalMesh(pugi::xml_node node) : StructuredMesh {node}
   grid_[0] = get_node_array<double>(node, "r_grid");
   grid_[1] = get_node_array<double>(node, "phi_grid");
   grid_[2] = get_node_array<double>(node, "z_grid");
-  origin_ = get_node_array<double>(node, "origin");
+  origin_ = get_node_position(node, "origin");
 
   if (int err = set_grid()) {
     fatal_error(openmc_err_msg);
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ SphericalMesh::SphericalMesh(pugi::xml_node node) : StructuredMesh {node}
   grid_[0] = get_node_array<double>(node, "r_grid");
   grid_[1] = get_node_array<double>(node, "theta_grid");
   grid_[2] = get_node_array<double>(node, "phi_grid");
-  origin_ = get_node_array<double>(node, "origin");
+  origin_ = get_node_position(node, "origin");
 
   if (int err = set_grid()) {
     fatal_error(openmc_err_msg);
diff --git a/src/xml_interface.cpp b/src/xml_interface.cpp
index cf3b981e5..6ce465baf 100644
--- a/src/xml_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/xml_interface.cpp
@@ -48,4 +48,11 @@ bool get_node_value_bool(pugi::xml_node node, const char* name)
   return false;
 }
 
+Position get_node_position(
+  pugi::xml_node node, const char* name, bool lowercase)
+{
+  vector<double> arr = get_node_array<double>(node, name, lowercase);
+  return Position(arr);
+}
+
 } // namespace openmc