GARLAND — After months of work and planning on a mural, town officials put up the final touch.

A plaque next to the painting was recently installed to honor the sponsors who made the project possible, such as the North Carolina Small Towns Economic Prosperity Program (NC STEP), a group that lead the project. During a previous meeting, Garland Mayor Winifred Murphy said they got a top-of-the-line plaque to show the many contributions of sponsors.

“We wanted to make sure that it was something that would last,” Murphy said.

The “Greatness of Garland” mural features the faces of Dr. Amos Neill Johnson and his aide Henry Lee “Buddy” Treadwell, the medical professionals responsible for innovating the physician assistant (PA) concept. Duke University modeled its PA program after their partnership.

The mural also includes parts of Garland’s history, such as the Brooks Brothers Building, railroad tracks which were instrumental for the town’s development and children next to a school to represent historical learning facilities.

It was designed by Robert Hall in the fall of 2015 and his work was followed by a dedication ceremony with the families of Johnson and Treadwell present. Along with community members, representatives from the Duke Physician Assistant Program, which has a professor’s award named after Treadwell, were also on hand and Gov. Pat McCrory also submitted a letter that was read on his behalf.

A plaque for the sponsors of Garland’s mural project.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_Mural_1.jpgA plaque for the sponsors of Garland’s mural project.

By Chase Jordan

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