Pequea’s Fountain of Youth

The Healing Waters of York Furnace Spring

Along the wooded hillsides of Martic Township, a quiet spring once drew visitors from across the region—not for its beauty, but for its reputed healing powers. Known as the York Furnace Spring, this now-forgotten site was once regarded as one of the purest sources of water in Lancaster County.

In 1886, Professor Thomas R. Baker of what is today Millersville University conducted a formal analysis of the spring. His verdict was definitive: “The purest water I have ever examined.” Baker found no trace of lime or magnesia—minerals common in most natural springs—praising the water’s purity, softness, and consistent coldness, which never exceeded 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

The spring’s reputation quickly grew. Locals claimed it provided relief for liver and kidney ailments, while the nearby River View Hotel took advantage of the belief. At significant cost, they piped the water directly to the hotel, advertising its restorative properties to guests seeking health and relaxation in the countryside.

The spring’s location was described in period literature as lying just beyond the River View Hotel, along the miniature railway that once ran between Pequea and York Furnace. An 1899 map of Martic Township confirms the presence of a rail station and pavilion in the area. A visitor’s guide of the time speaks in glowing terms of the York Furnace Glen, calling it a former home of the Piqua Shawnee Tribe of Native Americans and highlighting the “limpid spring filled with its beneficent, health-giving water.”

Based on descriptions, maps, and historical photographs, the site of the spring lies inside Lancaster Conservancy’s Clark Nature Preserve just off an old access road that crosses the Conestoga Trail near Bridge Valley Road. Stonework ruins, partially hidden by undergrowth, match archival images of the spring’s collection area. The structure is modest, but the craftsmanship and intent are clear: this was once a vital landmark.

While the River View Hotel and miniature railway are long gone, the spring continues to flow—its waters still cold, still soft, and still remarkably pure. For a brief time in the late 19th century, this secluded hillside was considered a source of healing. Today, it offers a rare glimpse into Lancaster County’s health tourism era and the forgotten infrastructure that supported it.

Where To Go

If you would like to visit them for yourself, the GPS coordinates of the York Furnace Spring are 39.878328, -76.369164. The ruins are situated on publicly accessible land within Lancaster Conservancy’s Clark Nature Preserve, just a few feet off the Conestoga Trail. Depending on the season, the stonework can be difficult to see.

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Resources

• The River View Hotel, Pequea, Martic Twp.
• Men sitting around camp at York Furnace.
• Tucquan Club Members at the spring at the camp at York Furnace Springs.
• Miniature railroad between Pequea and York Furnace