Photo Tour: Salvation Army Mural & Historic Milford, Delaware

This hub is about the Salvation Army Family Store Building in my hometown of Milford, Delaware. As in many communities across the USA, the Salvation Army with its many volunteers is a welcome charity in our town helping many who are in need of clothing, furniture and other types of assistance. Until recently Milford's Salvation Army building was functional, plain white and non-descript. It looked more like a warehouse than a store until the local art league, the City of Milford and the Milford Museum collaborated on a joint project to create a block long mural transforming what used to be an ugly duckling into a swan. This hub is a pictorial about the mural and will also tell the story of the joint efforts to create this beautiful work of art on Southeast Front St. in downtown Milford.

The town is proud of its heritage as a river town, art town, hometown and historic town and the joint project to create the mural was a wonderful way to take even greater pride in the ongoing revitalization of the historic district. I have included some additional pictures of the down town area so the reader can get a sense of the neighborhood that the Salvation Army is in.

Ideas, no matter how great, never become reality unless acted upon and this project was no exception. In 2008, Dave Kenton, who is chairman of the nearby Milford Museum envisioned a mural that would span the length of the white wall of the Salvation Army Building. Being a man of action, he approached the Mispillion Art League and shared his vision with them. Sara Gallagher and Mispillion Art League's Board of Directors agreed to take the project on. A total of 17 artists and 3 community volunteers eventually stepped up to the challenge and on Oct. 7, 2011 the mural was officially dedicated to the community and it's as beautiful as Dave Kenton originally imagined it would be.

The creation of the mural was challenging and an act of love by the volunteer artists who sketched, graded and painted their vision onto the long concrete wall, working three to four days a week, weather permitting, over a four year time span. It took trial and error to find the right tools to sketch the scenes. And though their labor was free, the project still required funding which eventually came from six sponsors who each put up $1,000.

The completed mural has six panels, painted in vibrant colors and each panel depicts a historically accurate moment in Milford's past. The hope is that people viewing it will become more curious about the town's history and that it will encourage them to learn more by utilizing the newly renovated and expanded Milford Library resource room and the Milford Museum. Another goal of the project was to make residents and visitors more aware of the many talented artists that live in the community.

Beautiful "Mural Note-cards" are available through the Mispillion Art League and funds obtained from the sale help raise money for the league. A set of six cards, each depicting one of the historic panels is available, or individual cards can be purchased. Each card comes with an envelope and is blank inside.

For more information about the cards contact the Mispillion Art League, 5 N. Walnut St., Milford, DE 19963 or call 302-430-7646. You may also contact them through their website at www.mispillionarts.org .

The first mural was started in 2008 and depicts the Launching of the George May which was a cargo ship built in 1900, a time period when Milford, a town with the Mispillion River running straight through its center, had a thriving ship building industry.

The second mural, also started in 2008, depicts the Old Red Mill & C.D. Caulk Manufacturing Plant as they appeared in 1908 when both were on Silver Lake.

The third mural, the Pea Crop Wagons, was started in 2009. It shows a farmer's wagon waiting its turn for cannery processing at the Draper Cannery circa 1870-1930.

The fourth mural, the Railroad Depot, was also started in 2009 . The Railroad Depot Junction and Breakwater Line was in operation from 1860 to 1945 and the mural depicts it as it looked in 1915.

The fifth mural, started in 2010, depicts the Nixon Palace Theatre which was the home of the first Nickelodeons and later, silent movies, as it looked in 1920.

The sixth and final mural was also started in 2010 and depicts the Old Calvary Church as it looked in 1912.

Hope you have enjoyed this photo gallery about the Salvation Army Murals and the historic section of Milford, Delaware. To find out more about Milford visit its website at the City of Milford Official Website: http://www.cityofmilford.com/ .