Downtown Kinston Revitalization dedicates garden in honor of important former Kinston resident

KINSTON, N.C. (WNCT) — Downtown Kinston Revitalization dedicated a Memorial Garden in honor of Ms. Shirley Herring, a local who devoted herself to making Kinston a better place.

The garden sits at the corner of North and Mitchell Streets. It’s a beautiful gathering space with benches a mural and a sculpture. Those with the project say this garden reflects Shirley’s work to beautify downtown Kinston.

“This was the love of her life. She was not a native of Kinston but she adopted this town of her own and she dedicated her life to making this town as beautiful as she could. Even though she’s been gone for nearly 6 years, you can see her presence almost everywhere in Kinston,” said Becky Mitchell, daughter of Shirley Herring.

Downtown Kinston Revitalization says this project took more than three years to complete and wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s help.

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