Scout project honors Springfield’s founder, pioneer Jane Lownes
SPRINGFIELD » Zach Newman, 17, started working on his Eagle Scout Project a year ago. On Saturday he saw his hard work come to life, delighting over 40 descendants of township founder Jane Lownes along with commissioners and the park board.
The unveiling of a plaque marks the Jane Lownes Park, which is hidden from view along Kennerly Road in Springfield. Newman worked diligently, going to commissioners and park board meetings. He reached out to Howard Lownes Sr., a tenth-generation descendant who helped reach family members to attend the ceremony. Lownes has done intensive research on Jane Lownes.
She is known as the “Pioneer Mother” of Springfield as one of the first settlers in the township. Her husband, a Quaker, died in the Northgate Dungeon in England. After his death Jane sailed to America in 1680 with her four children to avoid religious persecution. She lived in a cave before her house was built on the 150 acres patented from William Penn. It is believed that Penn met her husband, Hugh, in the Dungeon. The Jane Lownes Park stands where the original cave was.
The week before the unveiling, Newman with the help of members of his Scout Troop 512 planted flowers, put down mulch and cleaned the park in the pouring rain.
Newman contacted Paul Wechsler about putting a plaque at Wagner Wayside Park because of a stone miller’s wheel there. Wechsler contacted the parks department and was informed of the need of a plaque at Jane Lownes Park. This is where Neman met Howard Lownes who helped with the research and text on the plaque.
At the unveiling Newman explained that the acronym for the Quaker ideals is SPICES. Jane Lownes lived those ideals.
“The first S stands for simplicity. When Jane Lownes came to America she was willing to live the simple life in a cave before her house was built. The P stands for peace and the reason Jane Lownes came to America was to peacefully escape persecution. The I stands for integrity, which the parks committee showed by working with me to put up this historical plaque. The C stands for community. Like the Boy Scouts, Springfield has a strong community of people that are bound together and care for each other.
“The E stands for equality. When Jane Lownes and the Quakers came to America, they came in hope of equality of all religions and that is what we have today. The final S stands for stewardship and that concept is very important today so future generations can live as healthy and happy as we are today. Such ideals are there reason that Jane Lownes came to America and pioneered Springfield,” he said.
“This piece of history tells us how Springfield came to be,” said Newman.
Betty Jane Lownes Ferris‘s parents grew up in Springfield and moved to West Chester. Her grandfather owned a flower shop in Springfield.
“This is the first time I have seen the park. It is wonderful to have our history honored by the scouts. Especially here, we come from a long line of horticulturists,” said Ferris, smiling.