Monument Erected At Broad Commons Park To Former Doylestown Mayor

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Former Doylestown Mayor Elizabeth "Libby" White now has a place of honor at the borough’s new Broad Commons Park which she helped to create.

Deputy Borough Manager Phil Ehlinger reported at Monday’s borough council meeting that a monument has been added to the park in honor of the former mayor who died at the Pine Run Retirement Community on her birthday, June 30, 2022.

“We were contacted by Lou White (Libby’s husband) about finding the setting for a lovely plaque given to Mayor White on her retirement,” said Ehlinger.

Using a boulder that the borough acquired from the county when it was excavating the site for its new parking garage, members of the borough's public works crew chiseled out the relief and mounted the plaque on the stone.

Libby White, mayor, 2004 to 2014. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

The boulder, said Ehlinger, is part of the bedrock on which Doylestown was built.

“The plaque is consistent with the cultural theme that we have across the park,” said Ehlinger. “We will be doing some additional landscaping around it and will be adding flowers.

“It’s a fitting, elegant monument to Mayor White,” said Ehlinger.

White was instrumental in the founding of the Doylestown Democrats, a group formed to support Democratic candidates for local office. It was this group that persuaded her to become a candidate herself for the position of mayor of Doylestown in 2005.

White was elected as the borough’s first female mayor after a campaign of knocking on many doors and warmly and eagerly engaging with many of her Doylestown neighbors.

While mayor, White helped create the Doylestown Borough Commission for all Ages whose goal was to create activities and interactions between residents of all ages. Another project was Clean and Green devoted to removing litter from Downtown Doylestown and enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

Mayor White also supported several major developments contributing to the growth and development of Doylestown: the Regional Police Initiative, the location and construction of the new courthouse, and the early work to create Broad Commons Park and new offices for both the new borough hall and police station.

Mayor White completed her eight years as mayor in 2014, during which she had performed more than 300 weddings.

The late Elizabeth "Libby"