Doria Daniels, a resident of Kent’s South End, christens the district’s new historic marker with a mini bottle of sparkling wine provided by Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala on Friday. “This has been 150 years in the making,” said Daniels, a key organizer of the dedication. “This is heritage that we’ve wanted known for 150 years.”

Kent

Photos: Kent honors the cultural heritage of the South End

A new sign marks the district as the ‘first in diversity’ because it has been historically home to Black and European immigrant residents.

Nearly a dozen Kent residents and Mayor Jerry Fiala gathered in front of Plum Creek Park on Friday to commemorate the marking of Kent’s South End as a historic district. The area, once settled by abolitionist John Brown, quickly became known as a tight knit neighborhood of diverse cultures as many immigrant and African-American families settled in the area.

“This has been 150 years in the making,” said Doria Daniels, a South End resident and President of the South End Neighborhood Committee. “This is heritage that we’ve wanted known for 150 years.”

Madeline Dunaway, a 69-year-old lifelong resident of Kent’s Historic South End, poses for a portrait shortly after the dedication ceremony.

Flora Mae Peoples (left), 89, and Henry Brown, 92, both lifelong residents of Kent Historic South End helped dedicate the district.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Flora Mae Peoples.

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