On 5/20/20, a very large limb from a Pin Oak came down in MSP’s fountain area. The fountain itself looks okay; but it’s still off, so cross your fingers. Its top is broken, the bottom tier lost a chunk, the iron fence is damaged, and Lane and Jim’s bench is destroyed. |
When I ventured out around 10 a.m. to pick the newspaper up off the sidewalk, a car stopped. I looked up, expecting to be asked directions to somewhere. A man gave me a great big smile and said, quite joyfully, “What a beautiful park!” He went on to say he had been out at ChesLen Preserve in Coatesville, and someone told him about the Park!
He remarked about the FRIENDS sign, and I filled him in a little about the tree sculpture, and how calling it FRIENDS is so appropriate for a number of reasons, including the fact that West Chester was started by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and the organization that raises money to improve and maintain the Park is called Friends of Marshall Square Park.
Before he went off, I found out he is from the Malvern area, and he said he has lived there for 30 years and never knew about the Park!
So nice that the word is getting out and all of the time and money invested is giving such enjoyment, and not only to West Chester residents.
~ Linda
[Linda is the FMSP Treasurer]
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We are very happy to announce that our Jack R. Loew Memorial Fountain in Marshall Square Park is the winner of the 2017 West Chester Preservation Award in the Bricks and Mortar category! Presentation of the award is October 19th, so please hold the date. Check here or Facebook for info as it comes in.
Special congratulations to our stalwart, decade-long project leaders
Jeffrey C. Beitel, AIA
Anne F. Walters, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP
Eternal thanks and gratitude to our Lead Sponsor
Patricia Burton Loew
Congratulations to those who preserved the fountain for decades, those who helped in its recovery, those who sponsor park benches and buy coping stones, those who open their homes for fundraising events, neighbors like you who pay dues and donate your time, dedicated contractors, and Borough leaders for supporting our efforts.
[Click photo to enlarge.]
September 24, 2016, 4 PM
Marshall Square Park
E. Marshall & N. Franklin Streets, West Chester
Free to All
Be there as we celebrate and rededicate our beautiful fountain. Hear the remarkable story of loss, recovery, and restoration. After 65 years, watch the fountain waters spray and rise again. Make history with us.
Meet our new neighbor and prime benefactor, Pat Loew, as we rename the fountain in honor of her late husband, Jack Loew. Like the fountain, Pat’s spectacular renovation of her new home honors its Victorian heritage.
Meet Officers and Committee members who know how it takes a community to plan, design, and accomplish such a lofty endeavor. Honor those who preserved the fountain for decades, those who helped in its recovery, those who sponsor park benches and buy granite coping stones, those who open their homes for fundraising events, dedicated contractors, and Borough leaders for supporting our efforts, and especially neighbors like you who pay dues and give your time.
Thank you everyone. Enjoy the fountain and help us earn the funds to finish our new Gateway to West Chester.
Fountain Milestones
127 Years Ago — Installed and Dedicated in May 1889
65 Years Ago — Removed and Lost
10 Years Ago — Started Planning and Searching
4 Years Ago — Recovered Major Sections
December 16, 2015 — Restored and Reinstalled
July 27, 2016 — Running Daily for the first time in 60 years
September 24, 2016 — REDEDICATION
See a 4-minute video of the recovery & installation (May 2012 and December 2015)
Friends of Marshall Square Park’s annual Members-Only Fall Party starts after the Rededication.
WATCH FOR THE OFFICIAL INVITATION & TICKET SALES IN AUGUST.
The original Marshall Square Park fountain from 1889. Found in 2012 and restored to its original site on December 16, 2015, where Victorians walked and truly appreciated the fountain’s contribution to their community. |
We’re Excited! FMSP Fountain Committee |
Until just before its
Rededication on September 24, 2016,
the fountain returns to standby mode for
construction of its surrounding plaza.
In case you haven’t seen it soar, stop by today!
]]>Until the plaza brickwork begins (within weeks), the fountain is to stay full-on from 6AM to 11PM.
The construction should finish several days before the September 24, 2016, Rededication. Video: Marshall Square Park 1889 Fountain running daily for the first time in 60 years.
Engraving for the first batch of granite coping stones, surrounding the fountain’s new fence, closes next week; so order now. Don’t miss the first batch — the wait is until the second batch makes it practical for the engraver to come on site.
]]>Tom—from our contractor, Pebble Pools—turned on and tested the Marshall Square Park fountain for the first time. With all seven sprays performing, it’s a glorious sight.
Much more work needs doing, like installing the new fence and restoring the surrounding plaza; but it felt so good to see the sprays rising after over 60 years. And for Friends of Marshall Square Park, a giant step in their ten-year labor of love.
To help us finish the project, donate at marshallsquarepark.org,
PS The fountain is in “stand-by” mode so the filters work while waiting for the official Fountain Dedication on September 24, 2016, at 4PM. This free event is open to everyone — bring your family and friends, share on Facebook, call your grandparents!
]]>Heritage Metalworks of Downingtown arrived with trucks, a van carrying fountain pieces, and three excited men, dedicated to the fountain they restored—in the park they knew as children.
Watch the VIDEO then GO SEE IT IN PERSON!
To finish the fountain project, we need funding. Nonetheless, we plan to welcome Spring 2016 with a working fountain and new drifts of 2,000 daffodils donated by Ben & Pete Rotteveel of DutchGrown LLC, 1-800-277-0215.
Friends of Marshall Square Park has the support of our exceptional Borough community, with all monies coming from residents and without using taxes.
You can make your family a permanent part of this project. Just email [email protected] and ask about fountain donation opportunities. Or, visit marshallsquarepark.org.
Ben Woods, Matt White, and Mike Stitley — The fountain restoration team from Heritage Metalworks of Downingtown. These guys have a lot of pride in their work, and it shows throughout the artifact — an historic fountain they feel honored to restore.
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