Planned Elfreth’s Alley park honors former resident who helped preserve the historic street

Old City District is planning to transform an empty lot outside Elfreth's Alley into a public space that honors a former resident who was one of the biggest advocates of the street's preservation.

The effort to create Dolly Ottey Park was announced by the community organization on social media last week and a fundraising campaign launched Tuesday, seeking to raise $60,000 to complete the construction by the spring.

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Elfreth's Alley is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the country. In addition to living there, Dolly Ottey owned the Hearthstone Restaurant on the road. In 1934, she helped form the Elfreth's Alley Association, which later secured the pathway's status as a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s. That designation saved it from destruction during the construction of Interstate 95. She died in 1996 at age 85.

The proposal for the park on the corner of Elfreth's Alley and N. 2nd Street is intentionally minimalistic — featuring just a few trees, tables, seating areas and planters. Officials hope that simplicity allows the project to be completed in time to welcome tourists for next year's celebration of the country's 250th anniversary while also giving residents a test run.

"The interim design launching now allows the community to experience the space in action and provide additional input that will shape the permanent park project in the future," said Jessica Buono, public relations coordinator for the Old City District.

After the city's semiquincentennial celebrations, the organization said it will seek more feedback from neighbors, who have already expressed a desire for a functional, comfortable space with ample seating. Information on when and where community members can submit ideas will be updated on the park's website, Buono said.

If the fundraising goal is reached, construction will begin in February and wrap up by March, organizers said.

"We're excited for the many possibilities the finished park will open for us and look forward to seeing how residents and neighbors will incorporate Dolly Ottey Park into their everyday lives as the semiquincentennial festivities wind down," Liz Welsh, president of the Elfreth's Alley Association, said in a statement.