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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Friends of Marshall Square Park
FALL BLOCK PARTY
A GREAT NIGHT OF FUN, FOOD & NEIGHBORHOOD FRIENDS!
Saturday
September 28, 2019
5 to 8PM
(Rain Date, Sunday September 29)
East Lafayette Street
between N. Matlack & N. Walnut
Dinner by Mizuna Catering
Local Beer
Wines selected by Eric Miller, Winemaker
RSVP by Wednesday, September 25
FMSP Member $60 • Nonmember $65 • Guest $65
or at marshallsquarepark.org
For checks, make payable to Friends of Marshall Square Park and drop off or mail to
FMSP Treasurer, 405 N FRANKLIN ST, WEST CHESTER PA 19380
(Please include phone & email)
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| The Music at Marshall picnic concert series happens annually on the third Thursday of June, July (July 18, 2019), and August. Our second concert features a newcomer to the gazebo. Dirk Quinn and his jazz/funk, high-energy band starts at 6:30; the picnic gets going at 6PM.
RSVP using the Evite Invitation and pick a dish to bring to our popular potluck picnic. We supply the tables, the grill, plates and napkins, hot dogs, hamburgers, fixings and water. See “What to Bring” on the Invitation, and let us know what you are bringing. If you prefer not to bring a dish, you can participate in the picnic for just a $10 per family cash contribution, payable at FMSP’s donation jar. To help with setup/teardown or other chores, please email our picnic coordinator at friendsofmarshallsquarepark@gmail.com. To keep up to date with our concerts, like us at facebook.com/MusicMarshall. And don’t forget our website, marshallsquarepark.org, for an in-depth look at Marshall Square Park and FMSP’s plans and successes.
Brandywine Valley Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., Their contributions make these events possible …
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RSVP here to pick a dish to bring to our popular potluck picnic. We supply the tables, the grill, plates and napkins, hot dogs, hamburgers, fixings and water.
See “What to Bring” on Evite Invitation and let us know which you are bringing.
If you prefer not to bring a dish, you can participate in the picnic for just a $10 per family cash contribution, payable at FMSP’s donation jar.
To help with setup/teardown or other chores, please email our picnic coordinator at [email protected].
To keep up to date with our concerts, like us at facebook.com/MusicMarshall.
And don’t forget our website, marshallsquarepark.org, for an in-depth look at Marshall Square Park and FMSP’s plans and successes.
We are grateful to our Sponsors
whose contributions make these events possible …
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You spread about 40 yards of mulch, picked up sticks and raked, ate about 40 doughnuts and drank about 5 gallons of coffee and water! Marshall Square Park has never looked so good! Nor have you
This kind of community effort doesn’t happen with best intentions alone, so pat yourself on the back and mark April 22, 2020—Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary—for another great party! And thanks to FMSP’s Eric Miller for organizing this year’s party.
Photo above: Over 20 Rotarians from the Rotary Club of West Chester (and their friends) came out to clean, mulch, and beautify Marshall Square Park in downtown West Chester. The weekend was part of a worldwide Rotarians at Work Day that saw tens of thousands of clubs doing service in over 100 nations around our globe.
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It’s official! Marshall Square Park has a Pennsylvania Champion Tree, a Blue Ash (Fraxinus, quadrangulata). Of this relatively rare species, our specimen is over 90 feet tall.
The Blue Ash, mostly native to western Ohio, is so named because early pioneers extracted a blue dye from its inner bark.
Champion trees are measured and scored by experts as the largest of their species in our state. A Longwood Gardens team measured our tree.
To see it, go to the park’s Matlack side, go down the Lafayette Street stairs and turn right. The Blue Ash is the first large tree in front of you. Look for the scaly bark, an identifying characteristic.
Beware: Our champion wears lightening protection (don’t touch).
Phoenixville chainsaw artist creates
art in the park
WEST CHESTER — Marshall Square Park is the new home to four owls, two squirrels, a fox, skunk, hummingbird, dragonfly, and new to the job, a wooden park caretaker.
On Monday, artist Marty Long was putting the finishing touches on chainsaw art carved into the remains of an 18-foot tall, five-foot diameter, and over 125-year-old red oak.
Long said the huge stump, near the intersection of East Biddle and North Franklin streets, is the perfect specimen for carving.
“It’s consistent in color with a dark center,” Long said, “It’s all about shadows. It shows off the forms really well.”
Anne Walters is a founding member of Friends of Marshall Square Park. She said the group wanted to preserve what was left of the tree after it half died. The borough didn’t fully finish the job of cutting down the whole tree and members of the group suggested a tree carving.
“It’s been in this park all this time and it should stay,” Walters said.
Long is a Phoenixville resident and former ice carver. With wood and chainsaws, he makes permanent art.
Long worked with music blasting through headphones on the project for more than three weeks. Regular rain showers slowed progress.
He appreciates that parkgoers, pedestrians and motorists will all view the 360-degree sculpture from different angles and see different things.
Long enjoys his job.
“It suits my personality,” he said. “I’m a free spirit.”
“I don’t set an alarm clock. I pay homage, while respecting nature, the environment and wildlife. I play up a variety of themes.”
Long might be best known for his Main Line wooden sculptures at Stoneleigh, the Haas Estate.
His stump-carved bunnies often wear outfits, including special garb for Mother’s and Father’s days, the first day of school, and all other holidays.
Long does not work alone; Harry J. Friel gives moral support and helps set up and break down.
Ninety-nine percent of the work is done with a chainsaw and when the job is almost complete, Long brings in sanders and grinders to finish off a project.
During the past few weeks, hundreds have gotten out of their cars or detoured on a walk through the park to snap photos of, and chat with Long.
Preschoolers from Friend’s School even stopped by to observe.
The 200-member Friends of Marshall Square Park is very active and recently brought the park’s fountain back to life.
The group also improved the gazebo, holds regular clean-up days, installed new benches and trash cans, holds “Music at Marshall” events, sets up luminaries during Old Fashioned Christmas and has installed signage.
A tree labeling project was instituted, the park’s classic brick swales have been unearthed and existing trees are cared for and maintained.
Long wants to thank Friends of Marshall Square Park “for all they do,” including promotion of public art.
Jim Salvas, FMSP Vice President, photographed Marty’s progress. Watch the tree change as Marty sculpts with his chainsaws, sanders, and grinders.
For photos, see the Dropbox folder called “TREE CARVING.”
For more information go to martylong.com, facebook.com/MarshallSquarePark, and marshallsquarepark.org.
Saturday, September 29, 2018, 5 to 8PM
See our website for Party details.
The caterer needs time to satisfy our crowd ????,
so please reserve ASAP!
This project came our way after the borough hired a tree service to top and remove a large red oak that dangerously shed limbs near the street. Because of a dispute with the contractor, the work halted, leaving behind a 16-foot tree trunk.
That’s when Friends of Marshall Square Park stepped in, seeing an opportunity to turn the loss of a tree into an enhancement for the park, a featured work of art for our neighborhood, an enduring asset.
After securing funds from donors, we sought and interviewed a number of tree carvers. Marty Long immediately stood out. Many people know his work, which graces public and private sites throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. He is both skillful and creative. If you check his website at https://www.MartyLong.com, you will see his work is just short of breathtaking.
People have asked, but neither we nor Marty know exactly how the finished sculpture will look. We asked that it be in keeping with its location and significant to both young and old. However, Marty likes to have the tree inspire him, and we have agreed …
It will be what the tree and Marty want it to be.
Stop by to find out along with us. Marty enjoys having people watch him work.
Photos by Jim Salvas
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