Mural Proposal
Hello! Welcome to this stop on the Glassboro Imagined Mural walking tour! This stop on the tour is located on the wall along the chestnut branch. This site is significant because this small stream eventually meets up with the Delaware river, which has played a significant role in geology’s effect on Glassboro. Additionally, this location does not jump out at you initially, much like the geology of a given area. This mural aims to depict the impact that geology has had on Glassboro’s history.
The overall structure of the mural is inspired by the layout that is employed by stratigraphic sections: a common graphic utilized in the world of geology. This layered set-up, like a stratigraphic section, is chronological, with the oldest geologic aspects of Glassboro being included at the bottom, becoming newer as the mural moves to the top. The bottom of the mural starts with the oak forest as well as the sandy soil that was integral in the location being chosen for the Glassworks. Next to these to natural resources is an artist rendering of the glass-works itself. The second “layer” of the mural shows the peach orchards of Glassboro. The soil in Glassboro made it possible for this type of agriculture to take place here. The third layer shows the importance of New Jersey sandstone in Glassboro’s history. The Hollybush mansion, a site of historical significance, is constructed from this brownstone. This layer of the mural shows the brownstone, followed by the Delaware river (the means by which the stone was shipped) and Hollybush mansion. The top-most layer of the mural shows a snapshot of Glassboro today as being the most recent layer. This image represents the history of Glassboro leading to where we are today, the same way lower geologic processes in a stratigraphic section lead to the characteristics of the topmost (most recent) member of the section.