Everhart Park's Unique Red Bench

Everhart Park of West Chester, Pa. may not have a mountain to climb, a rushing river to kayak on, or even an extensive trail system to hike through. The park is, however, home to one of my favorite resting places, a red bench placed in the park to honor of the 20th-Century American artist Horace Pippin, who was a native of West Chester. The artist, who was known for his primitive, or naive art, once painted a self-portrait in which he is sitting on a bright red bench in a grove of trees. As if it jumped right out of the painting and into the park, the real red bench sits beneath several large trees on a small hill.

The first few times I visited the park, which is maintained by the Borough of West Chester and also has a large playground, pavillion, and wetlands preservation area, I eyed the vibrantly painted red seat from afar, but there was always someone reading a book, playing guitar, or just taking a breather on the one-of-a-kind bench. Since then, I've been able to have a seat here on quite a few occassions, and I've found that no other spot in Everhart Park offers as good of a view of scenery as Horace Pippin's memorial bench. Plus, I find the contrast between the crimson red and its green surroundings so striking, that I'm willing to stay on a hard, metal bench for a good half hour just for the sake of sitting on a work of art.