LANCASTER — The Lancaster City Council voted Tuesday to change the name of Lancaster Square to Ewell Plaza, in honor of the Red Rose City’s Olympic hero, Henry Norwood “Barney” Ewell.
Once considered the World’s Fastest Man, Ewell broke the world record for the 50-yard dash in 1940 and won a gold medal and two silver medals in the 1948 Olympic Games.
He went on to live a quiet, humble life in Lancaster, where he was known for encouraging neighborhood children.
“The Barney Ewell Legacy Committee showed significant public support for the renaming of Lancaster Square in honor of Barney Ewell by providing letters of support and a petition signed by nearly 600 individuals,” the City Council said in a Facebook post announcing the name change.
