Mural honors influential community members in Salisbury at the VFW

November 19, 2021

Jordie Clark,

SALISBURY, Md. – A new mural at the local VFW 10159 is honoring the legacy of four influential community members. On Friday later afternoon, city officials, veterans, and community members gathered at a ribbon-cutting to see the reveal.

Those painted in the mural, Charles Jackson Sr., Thomas Cornish, Jeanette Chipman, Harold Pinkett, and Dr. EA Purnell were veterans, educators, medical workers, and archivists. All were black and contributed substantially to the city of Salisbury during their time here.

Descendants of the prominent people on the mural were also honored at the ceremony. Councilwoman April Jackson tells 47 ABC, this is the first of many projects she hopes can continue to revitalize District 1. “Our young people get to see history on this wall and in our community and also in our district and our city,” says Jackson. She adds, “This represents the entire city, and the city came through for District.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Jake Day also made an appearance and adds “The men and women depicted here, were and continue to be black pillars of the black community in Salisbury and they continue to be worthy and deserving of our continued respect and our celebration.”

Jackson also tells us, she has other plans in the work to contribute to their efforts to honor past community members’ memories, and bring District 1 together. “This doesn’t stop here, this goes onto deeper fruition, so I’m looking for things to happen just like this, I’m just overwhelmed,” says Jackson.

The mural can be found on the west side of the Salisbury VFW 10159.

Profiles of the men and women honored on the mural:

Charles Jackson Sr.
The founder and first commander of VFW Post 10159, Charles Jackson Sr. recognized the importance of establishing a meeting place for veterans of color who live in and around Salisbury. He was a Mason, and a lifetime member of the American Legion who served honorably as a medic in World War II and the Korean War.

Thomas Cornish

Thomas Cornish attended Wicomico County public schools and served in the United States Army from 1950 to 1952. A graduate of Morgan State College, Mr. Cornish became a widely respected Health Specialist for the state of Maryland – a position he held for 23 years. He is perhaps most widely known as the owner and operator of Cornish Market – a fixture of Salisbury’s West Side for more than 45 years.

Jeanette Chipman

Jeanette Chipman was a beloved educator who lived on Salisbury’s West Side. As the owner of the Maple Tourist Home – one of a small group of pre-Civil War dwellings to survive on Salisbury’s West Side – Mrs. Chipman opened her doors to new teachers at Salisbury High School, providing boarding and serving as a mentor to countless educators who would go on to follow in her footsteps. Her husband, Charles Chipman, also a renowned educator, is honored on Salisbury’s Church Street Mural.

Harold Pinkett

Most famously known as the first Black Archivist at the U.S. National Archives, Harold Pinkett was born on Salisbury’s West Side and served in World War II. Pinkett graduated with honors from Morgan College in 1935 and went on to receive his graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and his doctorate from Columbia University. He worked for the National Youth Administration as a social investigator in the Public Defender’s Office and was the first African-American to become a fellow of the Society of American Archivists and to be the editor of the journal The American Archivist. He was an expert in agricultural archives and served as president of the Agricultural History Society.

Dr. E.A Purnell

Received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Tennesse with additional medical courses from Howard University, Harvard University, and the Universite D’Sorbonne in Paris. He opened his office on West Main Street in 1944, and at the time, he was one of only three Black doctors who practiced in Salisbury. He famously provided medical care free of charge to anyone who was unable to afford it.