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Ever wonder how York County’s Spring Garden Township got its name?

As the name suggests, Spring Garden Township is a well watered municipality, extreme examples of such are seen when it rains. Here, a popular water collecting spot is seen at Hill Street and Spahn Avenue in this York County, Pa., township. But interestingly, the township did not get its name from its springs but borrowed it from elsewhere. Find out where below. Also of interest: Where does Rathton of York/Spring Garden Township Rathton Road fame come from?

Ever wonder how Spring Garden Twp got its name? ydr.com/local/ci_22833… @JamesMcClure #yorkpa #history #springhassprung.

That Tweet from the York Daily Record/Sunday News’ day metro editor Kara Eberle got my attention.

I like to know the background of things.

So Kara’s story, plus a little work on my own, brought forth some interesting facts:

“This municipality’s name didn’t originate with gardens or springs,” Kara wrote in Spring is more than a season in York, Adams counties. “It was named in honor of the Spring Garden District of Quaker City, as noted in the history of Philadelphia.

– Lots of places draw on the Spring theme, pointing to a reason York/Adams is so agriculturally blessed: Springettsbury Township, Springfield Township, Springhouse Circle, Springhouse Road, Springdale, Spring Street, Spring Ridge Drive, Spring Lane, Spring Hollow Road, Spring Avenue, Spring Alley, Spring Plains, Springville and Springwood Manor, Spring Grove.

York Springs, named a resort town popular in the 1800s because of its sulphur springs, does not sit in York County. It’s in Adams County, near the York County line.

– Spring Garden Township came before Springettsbury Township. In fact, Spring Garden, formed in 1821, is the parent. Springettsbury came from mother Spring Garden in 1891.

– The Spring in Springettsbury did not come from anything water related. Springett was a name of members of Pennsylvania’s founder William Penn’s family.

 

Mt. Rose Cemetery in Spring Garden Township is not typically targeted by high waters. It is located on a hill overlooked Interstate 83. Check out these  stories and photographs about  York County boroughs and townships.