DELAWARE — When taking a stroll through the park, folks more likely than not will come across a bench or tree in honor of someone.
I frequent the outdoors to fish, see some dogs I wish I had, or just clear my head — and I always make a point to read the plaque on a park bench dedicated to someone. But with my reporter’s brain, I’m always left wanting to know more.
Park Bench People will be a recurring series in Delaware Source that takes a deeper look at who the people inscribed on these bench and tree plaques were, and are.
What did this park mean to them? Are they still with us today? What makes Delaware so special to them?
I’ll answer all these questions and more — but for now, how does one get such a serene piece of park memorabilia?
The city of Delaware’s Parks and Recreation department actually has a commemorative bench program that details how the department works with people to honor someone special.
The logistics
Cemetery Administrator Amy Wright runs the nearly four-year-old program and said that really the only criteria to get a bench is a $2,300 donation, or $250 for a tree.
Wright said the program controls the design and style of the bench, and doesn’t consider custom pieces. She added the benches are similar to the style and aesthetic of those downtown.
However, she said she works with the person, family or group in terms of deciding the specific location of the bench in a park of their choice.
Each bench comes with an 8″ x 2″ bronze cast plaque, which Wright helps with as well to make sure the donor’s desired wording fits.
Donations last 20 years, and the city takes on repairs if needed.
“After 20 years, the bench will be available for renewal for the cost of a new donation, with the first right of refusal given to the original donor,” the department’s website states.
The trees are a little different, as the program doesn’t put plaques on trees anymore.
Wright said the department moved away from that due to weathering issues, but donors get an inscribed bronze leaf on an art installation in the Parks and Recreation building at Mingo Park.
Similar to the benches, Wright works with the city’s arborist, Hunter Smith, and the donor to select a species and location.
The parks and recreation building currently has 11 engraved leaves, but Wright said there are still older trees out in parks that have bronze plaques.
Additionally, she said there are two benches from this newer program with a third one in the works and several older ones from previous iterations of the program out in parks, too.
To get your own tree or bench in a Delaware park, check out the form here.
