As a result of an informal vote by city residents, Salem is set to name its newest park after local 19th century abolitionist Charlotte Forten.
Officials in July invited residents to register their preference for the name of the park, located at 289 Derby St., by casting their votes online. Participants were asked to rank their preferences from among five proposed names, with the park to be named after the one receiving the highest score. Charlotte Forten Park was the overwhelming choice.
The City Council is expected to formally approve the name at its Sept. 12 meeting. Forten was Salem State University’s first African-American graduate as a member of the Class of 1856 at what was then called Salem Normal School.
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In addition to her work as an abolitionist, Forten also was an educator, writer, poet, translator, and women’s rights activist.
“I am so proud that Salem will be naming this vibrant new space in honor of a woman who contributed so much to the progress of our community and to our country,” Mayor Kimberley L. Driscoll said in a statement. “I hope that this new public park will be a tribute to Charlotte Forten’s legacy and a celebration of all that she achieved for generations to come.”
Constructed with the help of state funding, the approximately 25,000-square-foot park features a plaza for programs and performances, a harborwalk around the South River, swing seating facing the water, built-in percussion features, and green space.
The planned naming of the park for Forten follows that of Remond Park, opened in 2016 adjacent to the Salem-Beverly bridge, in honor of Salem-born abolitionists Sarah Parker Remond and her brother, Charles Lenox Remond.
John Laidler can be reached at laidler@globe.com.