At the end of this month Louise DeSpain will step down as Executive Director of SPAR Council after nearly a decade of service to Springfield.  Louise came to Springfield with her husband, Jackson Cross, in 1999 from Fernandina in search of a historic home after having worked as an Educational Director for the American Red Cross covering Savannah, Charleston and Daytona. 


Today we interview Louise and celebrate a decade of service to Springfield.

Read more: Louise DeSpain - Celebrating a Decade of Service

Long-time Resident Profile Series

Name: Idela Miller

Age: 63

Status: Married to Cleveland “Spooky” Miller for 42 years

Location: East 7th

Occupation: Retired food service worker

Fun Fact: Idela enjoys carpentry and woodworking in her free time, which she learned from years of watching “This Old House”

Q: What brought you to Springfield ?

A: Cleveland and I moved to Jacksonville from Valdosta, Georgia in 1984. We had to move, you see. And at that time Springfield was the only neighborhood we could afford. We needed a decent size house, not a shack, and we couldn’t find that anywhere else. 

Read more: Springfield Residents Idela Miller & Jeremy Hubsch

Long-time Resident Profile Series

Name: Art Bennett

Age: 61

Status: Married to Carol Bennett for 30 years

Location: Market Street

Occupation: Master Plumber.

Fun Fact: Art and Carol are blessed with 7 children, 20 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.

Q: What brought you to Springfield ?

A: In 1995 my wife went one of the Home Tours we have in neighborhood, that’s how it all got started. We were living at beach. We had lived there for 30 years, but after my wife went on the Home Tour she caught the bug. While I was at work, she would drive from the beaches to Historic Springfield all the time to look at the houses. She begged me to go with her but I wouldn’t. She finally dragged me kicking and screaming into the neighborhood, and by that time it was too late: she had heart set on buying a house. And, well, we did. She got what she wanted. Of course shortly after we moved here, in 1996, I fell in love with it too.

Read more: Springfield Residents Art Bennett & Jim & Megan Radtke

Long-time Resident Profile Series

Name: Terrance Jones

Age: 40

Status: Married with 2 children.

Location: Laura Street

Occupation: Firefighter for Station #50

Fun Fact: Terrance has served on the board of various community organizations through the years, and is presently on the Springfield Preservation And Revitalization (SPAR) Council board.

Q: What brought you to Springfield?

A: We bought our home in 1998 and 5 things attracted me more than any other: The people, proximity to Downtown, bang for your buck, proximity to the major highways, and the originality and character of each home.

The other pioneers of that time were as friendly and supportive as you could ever ask for, and you couldn’t find a larger home for a more reasonable price. You also couldn’t duplicate my house if you tried. It would be too time consuming & costly. The craftsmanship is amazing and there’s not another like it in the world. Those things brought me to the neighborhood.

Read more: Springfield Residents Terrance Jones & Dave McDonald

Today we take a look at the Springfield Community Garden that continues to move closer to completion.  The new Garden location at 1425 Laura St.  is an initiative of Operation New Hope (ONH) and is being championed by Springfield's own Amanda Searle, Ray Beeson and Doug Blair.  Amanda stated the garden should be completed in a few more months but the initial seed starting class has already taken place and had 25 participants.

Upon completion the Garden will be home to 26 beds measuring 4'x20' and possibly some community beds and a grill/bench area in the southwest corner.  Beds in the garden are available to everyone for a $35 annual fee.  The fee includes a plot, free seeds, regularly scheduled classes, and the bimonthly 'Sustainable Springfield' newsletter.

Seeds were donated by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and the America the Beautiful Fund. 

Read more: Springfield Community Garden

Long-time Resident Profile Series

Name: Chris Knoll

Age: 38

Status: Married with three children.

Location: East 7^th

Occupation: Nurse Manager for Orthopedics at St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Fun Fact: An avid reader, Chris especially enjoys religious and philosophical texts. 

Q: What brought you to Springfield ? 

A: Well, I’ve had family in the neighborhood since 1900. As a kid I used to visit relatives here all time, for Thanksgiving and other holidays. So I knew the neighborhood. I was comfortable with it. I’ve lived in urban Philly before as well…..Springfield was urban light. 

Shortly after Sheryl and I got married, in the late 90’s, we went driving through the neighborhood so that I could show her my roots. Unexpectedly to me, she fell in love with place. Madly in love. Keep in mind at that time the neighborhood was still pretty rough. We went house hunting on the weekends and saw many homes in various states of disrepair. I still didn’t believe she was serious.  

Read more: Springfield Residents Chris Knoll and Andrew Learned