If you’ve visited the flagpole area in our Great Rock neighborhood recently, you may have noticed the large boulder with a sign mounted on its face. That boulder has a story of its own, and it ties beautifully into the Christ-centered foundation of our community.

The boulder was originally located in front of the Agway in Quarryville, where it had fallen from a passing truck. When Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community asked if it could be moved to our campus, Agway gladly agreed, saying, “If you want it, it’s yours!” Robert and Ryan Rohrer carefully transported the boulder using machinery that was just large enough to carefully carry it from Agway to its new home. Horst Signs installed the sign that now adorns the boulder.
The inscription reads:

“ We would see Jesus, the great rock foundation
Whereon our feet were set with sov’-reign grace.”

— Anna B. Warner, 1852

These lyrics embody our Christian heritage, and thus we chose “Great Rock” as the community’s name. Streets are named after hymn writers who refer to God as our rock. The name Great Rock comes from the second verse of the hymn “We Would See Jesus,” written by Anna Bartlett Warner in 1852. Once the name was chosen, the decision was made to carry the theme into the street names of the community. Each street is named after a Christian hymn writer whose music continues to impact generations and refers to Christ as our rock.

One example is Warner Avenue, named after sisters Anna and Susan Warner. Their hymns for children are still well known today—Susan’s “Jesus Bids Us Shine” and Anna’s “Jesus Loves Me” remain beloved favorites. Today, the boulder near the flagpole, along with several others placed around Five Stones Pond and throughout the community, serves as a visible reminder that Christ is our firm foundation—the Great Rock on which our lives and community are built.