Keys to Community (2003)
A 9' bronze statue bust that portrays Benjamin Franklin turning to greet a visitor. Over 1,000 keys were collected by the artist, James Peniston, from school children are worked into the surface. He collected these keys, over 2 years, from two dozen elementary schools and talked to them about Franklin's role as a community builder. Firefighters held a penny drive in 500 local schools, collecting 1.8 million pennies to help fund the casting. When the molten bronze was poured for the work, firefighters laid in brass nameplates representing fallen collegues across 4 centuries of service. It is located outside the firehouse in historic Old City.
There are other things to enjoy in this Girard Fountain Park - the serene park setting and the Firefighter mural.