Charles Cropper Parks

Born in Onancock, Virginia, Charles Parks began his education in a one-room schoolhouse in Talleyville, Delaware. He served in World War II and attended the University of Delaware. In 1948, Parks began four years of study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. A respected academic sculptor, Parks has received awards and commissions across the United States. Locally, Parks is best known for his figurative sculptures which adorn the state's homes, plazas, and green spaces. His monumental sculpture, Our Lady Queen of Peace, was commissioned by the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in New Castle, Delaware. She is the third of three Madonnas; the others are in California and Indiana.