Tomorrow at 1 p.m., Epworth Manor will celebrate 85 years of offering health care services to area seniors. The history of Epworth Manor has been intertwined with Tyrone’s own history through the years and many of Epworth’s accomplishments have played an integral part in the growth of the surrounding area.
Epworth Manor, originally known as The Methodist Home for the Aged, was established in 1919 by the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Methodist Church with the purchase of the S.S. Blair property. This house at 951 Washington Avenue, acquired for the sum of $15,000, became home to the first 14 residents of The Methodist Home for the Aged when they moved in on January 12, 1920. The S.S. Blair mansion, which would officially be renamed Epworth Manor in 1964, became the center from which this complex grew.
In 1921 the first addition to the mansion was opened, creating the availability to house up to 51 residents. The second addition in 1924 increased the occupancy level to 93. In 1953, a state-of-the-art nursing center was opened with 28 beds. This 28-bed area was later remodeled as a personal care wing in 1976, after the development of a 102-bed skilled nursing facility. And in 2002, Epworth Manor opened the most recent addition in their history, an $11 million project that included 10 residential living apartments, 28 personal care suites and a 12-room memory support neighborhood.
Epworth Manor’s 85th anniversary celebration will commence tomorrow with a ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of the community’s newest location at 925 S. Lincoln Avenue. The ceremony will be followed by an open house and refreshment social from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. located in both buildings of the Epworth Manor community. For further details, call Andrea Schurr at 686-2538 or feel free to visit the website at www.epworthmanor.org.
Epworth Manor is a licensed 144 bed comprehensive health care facility, serving seniors since 1920. It was the first Methodist Home for the Aged established in Central Pennsylvania and has been a leader in providing senior care and quality service throughout its more than 80 years. Epworth Manor is owned by Wesley Affiliated Services, Mechanicsburg, Pa., a not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Epworth Manor and Bethany Village, a continuing care retirement community in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Wesley Affiliated Services is an affiliate of Asbury Services, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation based in Gaithersburg, Md., which provides management support and services for its affiliated organizations that provide housing and health care services for older adults.
