It’s a bird, it's a plane, it’s a new mural at Doolittle Park

At first glance, the large mural looks like a simple image of a bird in flight. But look closer at the bird's shadow: the outline of an airplane emerges from the same brushstrokes. 

The layered design now anchors a new mural at Doolittle Park in Point Hope, where aviation history and the Lowcountry landscape are brought together in a single visual scene. 

The mural is the latest addition to the Cainhoy Peninsula community, where Point Hope planners say parks, trails, architecture, and public spaces are intentionally designed to reflect the area’s history and natural character. 

Doolittle Park, a signature sports park amenity for Point Hope property owners, carries that approach forward with a visual tribute tied to its namesake and surroundings. 

Early in the park’s design process, architects with SMHa proposed incorporating aviation imagery as a nod to General Jimmy Doolittle, the famed aviator for whom the park is named. Doolittle also collaborated with Harry Frank Guggenheim, former owner of the property, on early developments in aeronautics – connections that continue to influence how the site is interpreted. 

To develop the mural, Point Hope partnered with Charleston graphic artist Gil Shuler, who also designed the community’s logo. Instead of a traditional aircraft illustration, Shuler created a blended image that combines the silhouette of a plane with a heron in flight, linking aviation history with the natural environment that defines the Cainhoy Peninsula. 

The design reflects movement, exploration, and the relationship between human innovation and the landscape. It also draws on Guggenheim’s interests in both aviation and the outdoors, which remain part of the broader historical narrative of the property. 

While the mural is a relatively small feature within Doolittle Park, it adds another layer to a space designed for recreation and community use, reinforcing what Point Hope officials say is a broader effort to connect its built environment with the history of the land it occupies.