Birdhouse on Wilmington Riverfront causes minor political flap

A birdhouse along the Wilmington Riverfront is causing a little bit of controversy.

One of two large-scale birdhouses unveiled at Tubman Garrett Park next to the Wilmington train station this week is designed to look like Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home in Atlanta. The other one honors Joe Biden by including the White House and the train station.

Both are designed by Thomas Burke, who has had other elaborate birdhouses along the river. In 2016, Burke created a $17,000 replica of Christ Church Christiana Hundred, now on display at Janssen’s Market in Greenville. 

The birdhouses are on government-owned property, but permission for the placement of the birdhouses was granted by the Riverfront Development Corp., an entity funded by tax dollars and independently owned by taxpayers that operates on publicly owned land. 

“It is definitely a political sign,” said Jane Brady, the chairwoman for Delaware’s Republican Party. “We’re not fooled by that.”

According to Burke, who has been featured on the "CBS Sunday Morning" television show and was named “America’s birdhouse designer-builder extraordinaire” by Architectural Digest, the birdhouses are not political.

“There are no political signs attached to these houses. They are my creations and are owned by me,” Burke said in an email.

Political displays are generally not allowed on government-owned property or on privately owned property unless allowed by the owner.

Delaware law, like many other states, prohibits political displays within the right-of-way or in any form that may confuse or distract drivers.

Once it is closer to election time, some restrictions may vary but most regulations still remain such as needing to be a certain distance from polling sites.

These birdhouses are similar to the ones Burke has made since 1995, said Jamie Senn, director of operations at the Riverfront Development Corp.

“There’s no portrait of Biden on it,” she said. “It just has the picture of the railroad and that’s why it’s going up here.”

While some may see it as artistic expression, others see it as something more.

Brady said that we are within the 60 days before the election so if the city of Wilmington is OK with the display being on public property, then it’s allowed.

“No matter what you call it, it’s a political display,” Brady said. “Essentially it’s an advertisement.”

Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.