Delphina Station

Description

The design for this bench emerged from newly uncovered history, which revealed what is now the Westerwood neighborhood began in 1873 as a thriving African-American community. Originally anchored along Delphina Street – likely named for Quaker abolitionist Delphina Mendenhall – the neighborhood was gradually erased through racially restrictive development and private land acquisition. In 1898, Delphina Street was renamed Guilford Avenue, signaling a shift away from its abolitionist roots. Over the next century, displacement continued with the last descendant of the founding families selling their property in 1997. Delphina Station responds directly to this history. Inspired by the artist’s ancestral ties to two of the original Black landowning families, the work is conceived as a contemplative tribute space. Featuring steel stools and a symbolic bottle tree rooted in African and Southern tradition, the installation invites reflection, remembrance, and community dialogue – reclaiming a story long overlooked and restoring presence to Westerwood’s foundational past.