Opening Announced

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony is scheduled for Monday Oct 14, 2013 at 10:30AM. Pennsauken Transit Center is located near the intersection of Derousse Avenue and Bannard Avenue in Pennsauken, NJ

Proposal for Glass Artwork

HISTORIC REFERENCES

When thou haply seest some rare, noteworthy object in thy travels, make me partaker of thy happiness. – Shakespeare

In preparing this proposal I performed research at Pennsauken Library where I viewed the personal collection of town historian Jack Fichter. I also consulted historian Paul Schopp and viewed works from his private collection of NJ Railroading memorabilia. Looking at old maps and photographs gave me insight to the local history. Pennsauken’s location on the Delaware has always shaped the township's development. Other waterways, such as Cooper River and Pennsauken Creek, made the land desirable for settlement dating from pre-colonial times. As I looked at the faces in the historic photos I began to wonder what dreams and aspirations today’s residents share with their forebears. These historic references have been woven into my proposal. During my presentation to the committee I shared some of the highlights which include:

·         The region know as the Pea Shore

·         An 1894 description of the opening of the Delair Bridge

·         The passion for shad and the history of Fish House

·         Local poet J. Dunbar Hylton

·         Important women in Pennsauken history

·         Elizabeth Kinsey & Petty’s Island

ARTWORK LOCATIONS

The first area to catch the attention of the viewer will be the façade of the TRANSIT CENTER structure facing the parking area along Derousse Avenue. This structure features 16 windows arrays composed of 6 to 9 units each. There are 8 windows on the front façade (shown above), 3 windows each on the east and west walls, and 2 windows which flank the doorway to the train platform. The image above shows the day & simulated evening view. Variations in the opacity of the pigments used in the artwork will encourage the transformation of the panels in different lighting situations.

THEMES

 The Pea Shore to the Seashore

Just south of the Pennsauken Transfer Station a natural cove exists where Pennsauken Township meets the curve of the Delaware River. Sheltered by Petty’s Island, the land along this bank historically had its own microclimate which once allowed farmers to bring in a crop of peas two weeks before competing farmers in Virginia. Local landowners were getting rich off of this valuable harvest. The region became known as the Pea Shore. Indians who were known to have lived in this area may have even introduced this crop to the settlers, as the pea was an important native plant. Fishing and recreational pleasures also drew the interest of settlers along the Delaware shore and the area became an early vacation destination, where a Philadelphia gentleman could enjoy a day of fishing and perhaps glimpse a lady’s bare ankle! Years later the Pennsylvania railroad ran excursion trains to the new seashore resort Atlantic City. One promotion featured Miss America contestants onboard the train. When operational, the Pennsauken Transit Center will connect the Pea Shore to the Seashore. The sweeping arc of the Pea Shore is a prominent element of the design and symbolically restores this feature of the local landscape. The existing historic cove has been largely altered by infill from dredging projects on the Delaware River. As a result the current shoreline only hints at its once glorious past.

The Lenape along the Delaware

The land which has become Pennsauken Township was once inhabited by the Lenape Indians. A village has been documented near the confluence of Pennsauken Creek and the Delaware River. Native peoples hunted, gathered and fished the lands through which NJ Transit’s River Line and the Atlantic Line now pass. There are few depictions of what the Lenape looked like. My design reproduces an image of a Lenape family which was drawn by a Swedish sailor in the 17^th century. The image is centered on the woman for reasons which will become clear as you read on. Also reproduced in this image is the deed for Petty Island which was purchased from 4 local chiefs by Elizabeth Kinsey, a Quaker who had fled persecution in England.

Fish House Cove and the Shad Run

In 1813 the Tammany Pea Shore Fishing Company, a social club composed of artisan-class Philadelphians, erected their clubhouse and kitchen building on the Pea shore near the terminus of present day Cove Road. Over time, the cove became known as Fish House Cove, in honor of the Tammany fish house. Shad, a regional fish which is still considered a delicacy, was a favorite local catch. The yearly shad run could net a harvest of 20,000 fish! “Fish House” was a station stop along the present day River Line at Cove Road. It also served as the local post office. The Shad run is featured in the design and becomes more prominent in the evening.

Pennsauken and other Place Names

The name Pennsauken has had in interesting evolution. Variations and other curious place named appear in this area.

J. Dunbar Hylton’s poem “My Jersey Girl

J. Dunbar Hylton was a physician and a descendent of the township’s first business owner. He was also a published author of epic poems. His poem “My Jersey Girl” was the inspiration for many of the elements of my design. During my verbal presentation to the selection committee I played a short movie showing historic photos of women from Pennsauken history set to the words of the poem and the music of Bruce Springsteen’s iconic rendering of I’m in Love with a Jersey Girl. Here are a few lines from Hylton’s poem:

My Jersey girl, my Jersey girl,
All bright and beautiful was she, 
With ruby lips and teeth of pearl 
And cheeks more fair than roses be.

I met her ‘neath a willow tree,

Where the Pen(n)sauken waters flow;
I smiled at her, she blushed at me,
In ways that bashful lovers know.

My Jersey Girl

A prominent element adorning the front façade is a silhouette of a woman. She is the enigmatic “Jersey Girl”. But who is she really, an anonymous local bathing beauty from the bank of the Delaware or Philanthropist, socialite Anne De Rousse after which Derousse Avenue is named? It is for the viewer to decide. She is rendered in the cut paper silhouette style that was popular in the 1800’s. A wreath of peas, referencing "The Pea Shore" and “Keifer” pears – a local hybrid developed by Pennsauken farmers surrounds this image.

The Willow Tree

Suggested by Hylton’s poem we are invited to meet beneath the willow tree. Visitors to the station will explore its branches as they ascend the staircase to the platform above.

The Women of Pennsauken

The windows along the platform will become a gallery dedicated to the women of Pennsauken throughout history. Their images will be superimposed on elegant lace handkerchiefs, along with their brief biographies. If you would like to submit an image for inclusion please respond to the artists Call for Submissions. They’re all local heroines and Jersey Girls at heart! Doesn’t everybody want to be a:

The Delair Bridge

The Delair Bridge is the first Delaware River crossing at Philadelphia, supplanting a ferry crossing for passengers and freight bound for southern New Jersey. Because of its location on the lower Delaware River, the bridge has a collection of extremely long and heavy spans. These include the world's heaviest center-bearing swing span, completed in 1896, and longest double-track vertical-lift span, added in 1959. Both movable spans are still present, which is an unusual occurrence. Images of the bridge and its history will be developed in the window which faces the bridge.

WINDSCREENS

Thematic Description:

The Delaware River, Pennsauken Creek and Cooper River form important historic thoroughfares and are responsible for shaping the development of Pennsauken Township. The theme for this design emphasizes the role of the rivers. The pattern of gentle waves which appears in the lower panels is based on photographs I took of the Delaware River from the landing where Derousse Avenue terminates at the based of the Delair Bridge. The design takes its name from a another line in Hylton's poem, My Jersey Girl, which I featured in the entrance of the North Facade design. Here the words, "Where the Pennsauken waters flow" are woven into the background. By adding this element, a stylistic connection is formed with my design for Lindenwold Station where I used the words "Through to the Sea", penned by Walt Whitman,  in a similar manner.

Where the Pennsauken waters flow

Through to the sea (Lindenwold Station)

Another prominent element is the cut out shape of a school of fish. This represents the yearly run of shad. During my research I learned that 20,000 of these fish were often harvested in a single season. Numerous fishing clubs once dotted the Pennsauken shoreline. Fish House Station was a stop on what is now the River Line, near Tippin's Pond & Cove Road. Fish House became the postal designation for the surrounding area.  Silhouettes of trains run through the center of the design. These will be based on the evolution of the engines and cars that have traveled over this route. It is a place to incorporate some playful elements, like the Pony Express, which carried both horses and spectators to the Garden State and Atlantic City Racetracks (pictured below)

This detail (below) acknowledges the historic connection of this track with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Their logo proudly identifies them as: "The Standard Railroad of America"! The skyline of Philadelphia appears in the background. In this new location it represents the terminus of the line at 30th Street Station. I photographed this image from the Pennsauken shoreline. If  the trees were not in the way,  this view would be visible from the platform. It is the view the commuter will experience when crossing the Delaware on route to Philadelphia. 

The final image I will offer is a visualization of how the design elements may read in changing light. Images printed with opaque pigments will become more prominent. In this rendering, the shad become a sparkling line which moves through the windscreens. This would be the view as seen from the parking area and neighborhood along Derousse Avenue (below).