In 1974, Merle Mott donated 55 acres of land to the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church. Her vision was to create a community where seniors of modest means could live independently and be cared for when they needed assistance. The beauty and bounty of her land served as the inspiration for the name Foxwood Springs.
“Foxwood is a shortened word for fox-fire wood. Fox-fire is a luminous growth that causes wood to glow in the dark. There is a spring on [this] place that has never gone dry, giving life water to owners and community during droughts…. Foxwood Springs is rich in symbolic meaning. As the living center for older adults is developed, it is a place where people [find] their lives reflecting a beautiful fox-fire glow, because they are actively participating in the life of the center and thus, project their freshness for living much as the water from the living springs have for over a century.”
– Excerpt from Merle Mott’s Memoir, “My Dream – And How it Became a Reality.”
With Dr. Tom Johns selected as the Development Director, fundraising for the first phase of construction began in October 1975. Foxwood Springs’s initial phase included 60 apartments, a 60-bed health center, and several independent living units. With the goal of encouraging support and friendships among residents, the community design included parishes and tree-lined streets radiating out from the central building like the spokes of a wheel.
In May 1978, eight homeowners became Foxwood Springs Senior Living’s first residents. From 1978 to 1981, the community grew by an additional 15 acres and construction continued with 246 garden homes, 151 apartments, the 60-bed nursing center, and the community building. The 1980s brought the opening of the community swimming pool along with construction of the assisted living facilities and Holmes Hall. And in 1990, the memory care unit opened.
Foxwood Springs gained an additional 58 acres of land in 1999 when John Goodson, a resident, purchased and donated land north of the campus for the purpose of a memorial park and additional facilities.
For over 45 years, Merle Mott’s dream of providing quality senior living care and amenities has guided Foxwood Springs Senior Living’s mission and development. We look forward to many more years of serving the Raymore, MO community.
