Manayunk Heritage Mural (History of Canals)

Manayunk Heritage Mural (History of Canals) by artist Patricia Ingersoll was located in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This mural, inadvertently painted out in 2021, was originally one of two murals on the same building celebrating the history of the canal system and industry in the Manayunk (the other, featuring the industrial history of the neighborhood, is still visible). Ingersoll began the mural creation process with a children’s workshop at the North Light Recreation Center. She presented the idea of the mural, talked about the painting process, and showed images of the canals and industrial building in the area. She then asked the children to draw pictures relating to the images they had seen. Ingersoll then used these drawings as one of the inspirations for her final mural design. She also spent time researching canals, textile mills, and factories in the area to approach the pieces with an understanding of what the mural theme meant not only to people in the present but in the past as well.

The mural was restored in 2011.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (painted out in 2021).