Sherman Park

I had the opportunity to drive trough Central City South with my mother this week. One of the main reasons that I enjoy working with Phoenix Revitalization is that my mother grew up in this area, and always speaks with fondness of her childhood there. I was hoping to get a better understanding of where her houses were located mainly to find out if any of them were in the neighborhoods that PRC serves.

To my surprise, the first house my mother and her family lived in was in a neighborhood called Sherman Park. Sherman Park is one of the eight original neighborhoods to work with PRC. As we drove down the street, I suddenly recognized a house in the middle of the block. It was small, with stucco (which was unusual for the time it was built) and had a silver tin roof. Although I had never seen this house in person, my favorite picture of my mother as a child was taken in the front yard, so I instantly recognized it. My mother went on to tell me that her grandfather, my great grandfather built this house and the house next door. It was very neat to see that a little piece of my family history is still standing in the community that I am working with today. This is a great reminder of the rich history of Central City South that needs to be preserved.