The Stanley White History Wall was designed to honor the life and enduring impact of Stanley White, a beloved coach, mentor, and civic leader in New Bern, North Carolina. While the project pays tribute to one remarkable individual, it also celebrates the collective strength and cultural identity of the community he served. Positioned as both a civic landmark and a personal narrative, the installation connects memory to place and past to present.
The Stanley White History Wall was designed to honor the life and enduring impact of Stanley White, a beloved coach, mentor, and civic leader in New Bern, North Carolina. While the project pays tribute to one remarkable individual, it also celebrates the collective strength and cultural identity of the community he served. Positioned as both a civic landmark and a personal narrative, the installation connects memory to place and past to present.
Studio 310 was engaged to research, design, and deliver a permanent visual history commemorating the life and legacy of Stanley White while also celebrating the broader history of New Bern and the Duffyfield neighborhood. In close collaboration with our fabrication partners at Design Element, we translated community memory into a meaningful experience.
The wall was envisioned as more than a tribute. It serves as an educational resource, a cultural landmark, and an emotional touchstone for the community. From children encountering Stanley White’s name for the first time to longtime residents with deep personal ties to the original center, the design had to resonate across generations. Just as importantly, the process had to be collaborative and community-driven.
Studio 310 worked in close partnership with the City and a community-appointed Advisory Board to ensure the design felt authentic and respectful. We knew from the start that trust would be foundational. “As an outside team, we were entering a close-knit community with a deeply personal connection to Stanley White and to the space itself,” said Kimberly Paulus, Experience Lead at Studio 310. “This project demanded more than a beautiful outcome — it required empathy, curiosity, and a sincere commitment to honoring a legacy.”
With limited digital records available from Stanley White’s lifetime, our research leaned into traditional, analog methods. We conducted in-person interviews and visited libraries, schools, archives, and local organizations to gather stories, imagery, and artifacts that could authentically represent his legacy and the history of the community.
The physical context of a long, narrow corridor shaped the linear, timeline-based concept of the installation. The design features a series of layered panels combining photographs, written narratives, and graphic compositions that guide visitors through key chapters of Stanley White’s life. A life-size silhouette of Stanley welcomes visitors at the entrance, offering an immediate, humanizing connection to the man behind the story. Further down, a built-in display case showcases recreated memorabilia, including a baseball uniform patch, medals, awards, and personal artifacts, adding depth and a tactile, museum-like quality to the experience.
To ensure accessibility for a wide range of ages and reading levels, the narrative was structured like a book with chapters, visual cues, and natural places to pause. “We wanted the content to be digestible and approachable, so visitors could explore at their own pace,” explained Kimberly Paulus. “It needed to feel like something you could return to again and again.”
The location of the history wall, positioned down a long corridor, posed a visibility challenge for visitors entering the facility. To address this, the design was extended slightly beyond the initial boundary, allowing a portion of the installation to be visible from the reception area. This subtle extension helped draw visitors in and signaled that something meaningful awaited further down the hallway.
The tilt-up concrete wall surfaces presented several installation challenges including construction joints and exposed conduits. To navigate these constraints, we divided the content into a series of modular panels. This strategy allowed us to work around structural interruptions while preserving the visual continuity. It also provided long-term flexibility, enabling the city to update or maintain specific sections without impacting the entire installation.
The unveiling of the Stanley White History Wall was met with profound appreciation and emotion. Visitors paused to read the narratives, reflect on the imagery, and connect with the legacy of the man whose name graces the recreation center. For many, the experience was deeply personal. They recognized familiar faces and places in the photographs, exchanged stories, and shared memories.
Some captured photos of the wall itself, while others posed proudly beside the life-size cutout of Stanley White. The installation not only honored a remarkable individual but also rekindled a collective sense of pride and belonging. It marked a meaningful homecoming for a community that had long awaited the return of its namesake’s presence.
Beyond its role as an educational resource, the history wall has become a powerful bridge between the past and present. While the original facility remains cherished in memory, the new center, anchored by this meaningful history wall, offers continuity and connection. By embedding local history into the heart of the new space, the wall helps transform the new space into one that feels deeply rooted, welcoming, and true to its community.
The Stanley White History Wall stands at the intersection of storytelling, placemaking, and community-centered design. More than a tribute to one individual, it was a collaborative effort to preserve cultural identity, honor a shared legacy, and create a meaningful experience rooted in place.
Through deep community engagement and a thoughtful, research-driven process, the installation bridges past and present, serving as both an educational resource and a lasting symbol of pride.
At Studio 310, we approach every project with the people in mind. This work exemplifies our belief that impactful design goes beyond aesthetics; it connects people to place, history, and one another. The Stanley White History Wall reflects the values we strive to uphold, honoring the human stories behind every space and creating experiences that resonate across generations.
