For the time being, Delmont officials will keep the name of Rose Wigfield Parklet just the way it is.
Borough officials christened the small public area at 27 Greensburg St. the Wigfield park nearly a decade ago, in memory of longtime resident Rose Wigfield.
The park is next to the former home of Jacob Earnest, who had a wood-frame house and gun shop where the park is today. Those buildings were torn down in the 1970s, according to the local historical society.
Earnest was a wood carver and gunsmith.
One of his Pennsylvania long rifles has a place in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Another of his rifles was auctioned for thousands of dollars through Maine-based Poulin Auctions in 2021.
He settled in the Delmont area in the 1830s, when it was still known as Salem Crossroads.
Members of the Earnest family, some of whom still live in Westmoreland County, approached the borough recently and proposed renaming the parklet in Earnest’s name.
Councilman Chris Bigley seemed to support changing the name.
“My opinion is we need to think bigger in this town, no disrespect,” he said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “This man’s history is vast; one of his guns is in a Harrisburg museum.”
Friends and family of Wigfield, in attendance Tuesday night, respectfully disagreed.
“I recognize and enjoy (Jacob Earnest’s) history,” borough resident Don Craig said. “But I think there are other ways to acknowledge it besides renaming the park.”
The Earnest family made a donation last year to the Delmont Historical Society for that specific purpose: to help fund a National Register of Historic Places plaque recognizing Earnest’s place in local history.
It was dedicated during a ceremony in May and installed at the Wigfield Parklet.
“If the Earnest family felt strongly about it, I’d think someone from the family would be here,” Delmont Mayor Alyce Urban said. “Rose’s family and friends are here to support her.”
“My great-grandmother lived here for 104 years, and she was very community-oriented, which is why the park was named in her memory,” said Wigfield’s granddaughter, Roseann March of Salem. Wigfield was also among the founding members of the Delmont Fire Department’s ladies’ auxiliary.
Council members did not make any move to act on renaming the park Tuesday night.
“Having named it already, it puts us in a difficult position,” Councilman Jeff Cunningham said. “But I’d like to hear from the Earnest family as well.”
