This month, the Salisbury Post is requesting submissions of photos that celebrate Black history. Today’s contribution, a Jon C. Lakey original, comes from the Post’s archives. Joseph Heilig was a familiar face around Salisbury. His legacy was memorialized with a bench on South Main Street. 

Heilig was a popular artist, often commissioned to draw portraits and pictures of homes. He was talented enough that he made a living doing what he loved. He died unexpectedly in 2022, leaving behind a colorful legacy.

If you have a photo or story to tell illustrating Black History Month, please email editor Chandler Inions at chandler.inions@salisburypost.com.