Welcoming seniors home since 1927.
The historical landmark that is Winchester Gardens, was not always the senior Life Plan Community that it is today. Originally, our property was owned by the Ward Family who amassed a great fortune by manufacturing soaps & candles, along with the patriarch of the family, Marcus Lawrence Ward Sr., who served as the 21st governor of New Jersey.
The last surviving child of the family, Marcus L. Ward Jr., a lifelong bachelor, left most of his family’s fortune to the creation and maintenance of a home for “Aged and Respectable Bachelors & Widowers”. Ward’s will established the original board of trustees, who’s 9 members purchased a large dairy farm in Maplewood, New Jersey in 1923. The board modeled the creation of the home after the Hospital of Saint Cross & Almshouse of Noble Poverty in Winchester, England which they originally named, The Ward Homestead, later blossoming into the Winchester Gardens estate, which would be valued at more than $100 million today! The original Ward family home eventually converted into the Newark Museum and still maintains that function today.
The estate was meant to welcome and inspire. Famed New York architect John Russell Pope, designer of the Jefferson Memorial, was hired to create the building concept and design. His composition included three interconnected stone-and-slate gothic structures centered around an octagonal rotunda. The buildings, completed in 1927, boast leaded glass windows, graduated slate roofs, an exterior wall sundial, and sailing vessel carvings. With hand-cut stone in round pillars, copper awnings, eavestroughs, and downspouts, plus multiple elaborate chimneys you’ll be sure to feel the historic essence of this property.
The first guest at the Ward Homestead, an all male senior living home, was Mark Taylor Atchley who moved in on August 31, 1927 – there were a total of 11 guests that first year, one of who’s step-daughter, Tilly-Jo Emerson, currently resides at Winchester Gardens today. Each resident had his own room and bathroom and all guests were required to wear a jacket and tie when indoors. Medical care, meals, and maid service were all included and there was no charge to stay. The average guest stay was around 6 years and in 1965, a $3,000 donation became required to move in.
On April 2nd, 1980, the first woman resident, Nellie M. McCormack, moved in per an amendment of Ward’s original will. In the early 1990’s the Ward Homestead took on the name of Winchester Gardens and in 1997 construction on Duffield Commons, Johnson building and 40 Villas began. By 1998, over 1000 men and women had resided at Winchester Gardens. In 2013, Winchester Gardens became part of the Springpoint family of senior living communities. In 2016, Winchester Gardens broke ground on a major construction project that included renovation of the existing 43,000 square foot Pitney and Hardin Buildings and a 25,000 square-foot expansion of the healthcare center with a more open and modern design. The state-of-the-art building opened in 2018 with three assisted living neighborhoods including both memory care and long-term care support along with a fourth neighborhood dedicated to sub-acute care.
Building a better future with Springpoint
Today, Winchester Gardens is a proud member of Springpoint, the Mid-Atlantic’s premier nonprofit provider of senior care. Founded more than 100 years ago, Springpoint has the resources and experiences to support Winchester Gardens, offering resources, expertise, and support for our communities.
Springpoint’s award-winning LivWell program focuses on the 7 Dimensions of Wellness — physical, intellectual, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual, and vocational translating into a wide variety of services, opportunities, and amenities for Winchester Garden residents, including an art studio, woodworking shop, library, and state-of-the-art fitness center. From on-site TEDx Talks to Friday happy hours, there’s always a way to socialize, learn, relax, and engage.
Taking a walk back in time
As grand as the stone-and-slate buildings are at Winchester Gardens, the 37 acres they’re set on are equally impressive — and that wasn’t by accident.
After hiring John Russell Pope as the project’s architect, the estate’s trustees chose the Olmsted Brothers to design the landscape of the Winchester Gardens grounds.
If that surname sounds familiar, it’s because the brothers’ father was Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape designer behind New York’s Central Park, the U.S. Capitol Grounds, and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
The brothers’ list of accomplishments is nearly as long as their father’s and includes Notre Dame University, Piedmont Park in Atlanta, and high-profile private projects like Winchester Gardens. Their designs were meant to produce a powerful appreciation for nature. When you arrive at Winchester Gardens, your eye isn’t drawn to any particular bank of trees or flowering shrubs. Rather, you experience a sense of beauty and peace as you stroll along the winding asphalt path or enjoy morning coffee outside with a friend.
Seeing Winchester Gardens today
While Winchester Gardens is known for its stunning buildings and grounds, that same standard of excellence extends to the services, amenities, and healthcare offered within the campus. That means villas and apartments are upgraded to meet your design preferences and standards. You’ll also have the confidence of knowing that, should you need it, the best possible care will always be available for you. Ready to put our history to work for your future? Contact us today to learn more or schedule a visit to see all that Winchester Gardens has to offer.
