Carrick Mural

Phil Seth, mural artist, presents the third mural concept to the Carrick residents

Mural Concept #3 Final Mural will be on Vern's Electric Company Building

L'Enfant - Mother's statue – Originally called L’Enfant was donated to the Mother’s House and resides at the intersection of Overbrook Boulevard and Ravilla Street. Phil Seth's mural concept reflects the modern day version of the mother and child.

The Carrick Mural - Final Version

An Explanation of the Process and the Symbolism in the Mural

This Sprout Fund mural, by artist Phil Seth, is the result of a public, collaborative effort between the Carrick Community Council, Carrick Business Association, and the Carrick-Overbrook Historical Society.

The goal of this collaboration was to create a piece of art that is representative our values and our hopes, our past as well as our future. We hope you enjoy our journey. Art is what you decide to take from it.

The Rock: Carrick was named by Dr. John O’Brien in 1853 after his native town of Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland. Carrick means rock in Gaelic, and Suir is the name of the local river. Engraved on the rock is the official crest of Carrick-on-Suir, representative of the swans that grace the river. The rock also symbolizes our coal-mining past; the rock is the coal which has mined from under our neighborhood.

The Tree: This symbolizes our family trees and the tree of life with the roots deeply surrounding our neighborhood. Many of our residents have lived here for generations and our children choose to live nearby. The mother is expressing joy in seeing her child reach for the roots of the past while enjoying the beauty of the present moment. The tree is also a reminder of the Russian Mulberry and Cherry trees given to residents by John M. Phillips in the early 1900s.

The Bird House: The bird house resembles of many of our homes, and represents Bird Day, a national holiday created in the early 1900s and promoted by Carrick resident, conservationist and businessman, John M. Phillips, and his colleague, William T. Hornaday (former director of the New York Zoo.) On Bird Day, children were encouraged to create their own birdhouses to promote conservation and increase universal awareness of the natural world.

The Mother and Child: The mother’s smile and adoration express her love for her child. The modern symbols of the mother and child were inspired from our L’Enfant sculpture that currently rests at Overbrook Avenue and Ravilla Street. Originally designed by French artist Roger Bloche in 1899, the sculpture subtlety appears in cloud formation to the right of the tree in the actual final painting.

L’Enfant was acquired by The Mother’s Club of Carrick, founded in the early 1900s by Harriet Duff Phillips, a community activist and a progressive leader for causes related to women and children. Note that the young child is wearing a Carrick Athletic Association jersey, and the baseball symbolizes our community’s family-oriented nature and long ties to organized youth activities.

Finally, in the background, you can see the beautiful green vistas, which represent the stunning views and rolling hills in our neighborhood.

On December 8, 2012 a descriptive plaque was dedicated.