Spring City Improvements League (SCIL) is announcing their partnership with local artist Ellie McIntosh and the completion of a brand-new large-scale mural on Main Street.
McIntosh has been painting commercial and residential murals for the past 15 years, both in the US and abroad. She has a passion for visual storytelling through mural painting. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture and Design from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design with a minor in Sustainable Design and a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University.
“When SCIL approached me about the project, I knew this was an opportunity to make an impact on the rich history of Spring City,” she adds. “Murals uplift people and being around art changes their attitude in a big way.”
You will find her work all over the area, including murals at Bloom (Chester Springs, PA), Lock29 (Mont Clare, PA), Revivalist Spirits (Elverson, PA), Rusticraft Fencing (Malvern, PA), Yay Clay (Philadelphia, PA), and Glow, Steel City Coffee House and Fox and Hare Apothecary (all in Phoenixville, PA). “Murals create a whole other world and atmosphere which I really love,” she said.
McIntosh was commissioned to paint a large outdoor mural on the exterior wall of the building at 126 North Main Street. The art faces the new parking lot at Main and Yost Streets and features the rolling hills and fields seen throughout Chester County.
Perhaps the most prominent feature of the mural is the spring pump. As Spring City was settled, it was referred to as “Pump Town,” due to a public pump frequented by citizens and visitors. Eventually, the natural springs in the area proffered an obvious name and led to “Springville” being chartered on August 12th, 1867. The name wouldn’t stand as it was discovered that Pennsylvania already had a town of this name and led to the change to Spring City. The original copper mug is currently on display at the Spring-Ford Historic Society.
“We want to welcome visitors and those passing through Spring City with this mural. As the gateway to Chester County, we wanted to showcase the beauty all around us” said Kim Weaner, SCIL President. She adds, “This mural, along with the new parking lot and courtyard on Main Street, are the impetus for revitalization of Spring City, and we are excited to be part of it,”
Spring City Improvements League is an incorporated non-profit established to lead beautification projects to benefit the residents, businesses, and visitors of the Borough of Spring City.
“As we were envisioning the mural, it was important to us that the community be involved in this project,” said Diane Skorina, SCIL Vice-President. “At the annual Spring City Music and Market Fest on Main Street in 2021, community members were invited to sketch their ideas for the mural onto large sheets of paper and in December 2022, we organized a luminary fundraiser to light up the streets of Spring City. Now that the mural is complete, we look forward to continuing our efforts of beautification throughout the borough.”
Eugene Sweeney, SCIL Secretary, also added, “We could not have completed this project without the generosity of community groups, local businesses and individual sponsors. We are especially grateful to the American Legion Post #602, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Vincent Lodge #762 and Spring City Borough for their support. Borough businesses and families who generously donated to the project are recognized on our donor plaque which was permanently attached to the building this week.
Follow SCIL on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCIL19475 or contact us at SCIL19475@gmail.com.
To learn more about Ellie McIntosh, visit her website at elliemac.us.com.
