I n 1953, Mount Pleasant welcomed two sisters... Anne and Elizabeth Dinsmore, as its first residents. During the hot and humid August of 1952, a group of 78 men and 36 women all volunteers gathered in the rolling hills north of Cincinnati to begin building what became Mount Pleasant Retirement Village. The volunteers operated from a work camp at Mount Pleasant Church in the tiny village of Monroe. After about two weeks, 600 meals and 4,000 hours of work, major construction on Paxton Hall was finished and the first residential cottage was under roof. Paxton Hall was named in honor of the Reverend William Paxton of College Corner, who made the first major gift to the Mount Pleasant building fund. The Reverend Dr. Ronald E. Boyer served as campaign fund director, and later became the home s first administrator from the time it opened in 1953 until his retirement in 1968. Mount Pleasant s first Welcoming Committee (left to right) Alice Campbell, Katheran Wildenson, Anna Dinsmore, Jack Wilkenson, Elizabeth Dinsmore, Florence and Ron Boyer. The First Residents Dr. Boyer welcomed the first residents, sisters Anne and Elizabeth Dinsmore, in May 1953. The Dinsmores had traveled from Pittsburgh to occupy their new home sight unseen. Mount Pleasant was the first of the Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services communities to offer individual freestanding homes and the volunteer-built cottage occupied by the Dinsmores was the very first of these. In October of that same year, dedication services were held for Paxton Hall, which provided a home for 15 residents. By 1958, Mount Pleasant had two residence halls, eight duplex apartments and ten cottages, providing accommodations for 60 older adults. The village became part of Ohio Presbyterian Homes in 1959 when the United Presbyterian Church of North America merged with United Presbyterian Church USA. Growth on the Mount Pleasant campus continued, as a community activities building for those living in the cottages was dedicated in 1962, and a 58-bed nursing center was built in 1967. The center was named for founding Administrator Dr. Boyer in 1968, the year of his retirement. Bert Lerch succeeded Dr. Boyer as administrator and presided over several important projects throughout the 1970 s: the expansion of the cottage program beginning in 1975; the formation of the Life Care Fund at Mount Pleasant in 1976; a campus beautification project for the nation s Bicentennial celebration; the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the village in 1978; and the completion and dedication of a major expansion of the activities building in 1979.
Continued Growth Dan Suer succeeded Loop as executive director in the fall of 1990. He was instrumental in planning and developing Mount Pleasant Place, an independent living complex offering 70 one- and two-bedroom apartments. In 1991, Seminary Drive was extended for a collection of 14 ranch homes called Presidential Place, featuring five different styles named after former American Presidents from Ohio: Garfield, Grant, Harrison, McKinley and Taft. Fundraising Leads to Expansion In 1982, G. Fred Sauer became executive director, leading a new phase of capital campaign fundraising, expansion and modernization. Donor gifts supported the construction of a new 19,000 square foot addition to the main building in 1986, which added 44 private nursing rooms; a physical therapy center; an activities area; a craft center; a multipurpose room; and reception and admissions areas. During the tenure of Executive Director David Loop, Sauer s successor, additional funds were raised to provide a special care unit for those with Alzheimer s, which opened in 1988. Mount Pleasant Children s Village, a full-service day care center for the children of village employees, opened on campus in the early 1990 s, giving residents the chance to be acquainted, once again, with young children on a regular basis. Also in the early 1990 s, Mount Pleasant opened its Elder School, offering on-campus continuing education with lectures and workshops conducted by area university professors. The former Mount Pleasant Auxiliary initiated many ongoing projects such as replanting and maintaining the center s Memory Garden; providing holiday favors for residents; and raising funds for special purchases such as furniture, equipment and buses. The opening gala for the Robert A. Quisno Wellness Center took place on April 19, 1999. The center is a lasting tribute to the resident volunteer who passed away in 1998. Quisno s leadership was essential to the capital campaign that funded the fitness center bearing his name. Main construction features of the wellness center include a SwimEx pool, spa, shuffleboard court, aerobics room, and 230 linear-foot walking track. Mount Pleasant was also involved in the Keeping the Promise Endowment Campaign, which raised $3.6 million, almost entirely for Life Care Endowment. In 2000, the main building underwent some exciting renovations thanks to the generosity of donors, many of whom were residents. Their donations were put toward lobby improvements, as well as the Sun Porch Project, which consisted of enclosing the second story balcony. 1982 1986 1988 1990 1991
Executive Director Stan Kappers, who succeeded Suer in November of 2002, continued the expansion and renovation of Mount Pleasant. A groundbreaking ceremony and celebration for the new assisted living building at 225 Britton Lane took place on July 26, 2005. Kappers led a Topping-Out ceremony on June 13, 2006 to signify the progress on this project. The building was opened in November 2006. On January 19, 2007, Mount Pleasant celebrated the grand opening of the assisted living and Grace Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony. This expansion added 53 private suites, doubling the number of units previously available. The 12-unit Grace Center is a secure wing housed inside the assisted living building available for residents with Alzheimer s disease and dementia. Groundbreaking for a new independent living option called The Brownstone at Mount Pleasant was celebrated on August 16, 2006. The Brownstone is modeled after a concept developed by Minnesota Presbyterian Homes that efficiently uses community property without sacrificing attractive design or spacious floor plans. The Brownstone is a two-story building offering a balcony for second floor residents, a patio on the first floor, underground parking, a lobby with elevator, and a community room with a kitchen and comfortable lounge area. The Rehab Studios at Mount Pleasant opened in June 2007, offering short-term rehabilitation services in private suites. The studios feature a separate dining area, a physical therapy gym and an occupational therapy suite with easy access for visitors. Senior Independence In-home care services were initiated at Mount Pleasant in 1990, extending the village s quality services to its neighbors. The first Adult Day Services Center at Mount Pleasant was opened in 1991, serving 20 clients from the community. Mount Pleasant Home Health began serving residents in their independent homes in 1993. The Lebanon Adult Day Services Center opened in 1996, serving 12 clients at Resurrection Lutheran Church, and a center in Oxford opened in July 1997. In order to provide better service to their clients, Llanfair Care and Mount Pleasant Home Health (operating regionally) joined forces in 1997 to become Ohio Presbyterian Home Health. This successful program eventually merged with outreach programs at other OPRS campuses to form Senior Independence, a statewide initiative that today serves over 60,000 older adults in 38 Ohio counties. Services currently offered by Senior Independence include home health care, personal care, transportation, adult day services, wellness clinics and faith-based nursing. Endowment Gifts That Keep On Giving Mount Pleasant has been blessed with several named endowments whose support continues to enhance the lives of the older adults who call Mount Pleasant home. The Robert & Nell Quisno Endowment, the V. Nadine & Willliam B. Maitland Endowment, the William T. & Oleta O. Maxwell Endowment, and the William C. & Janet A. Shannon Endowment all benefit the Life Care Commitment at Mount Pleasant. The Clem & Verla B. McClure Memorial Endowment provides for maintenance of the flag memorial at Mount Pleasant and support for the Nursing Care Area. 1993 2000 2005 2006 2007
Mount Pleasant Retirement Village isn t a place where you go to wind down your life. It s a place where you come to live. Planning for the Future Generosity Enhances Quality of Life OPRS was established through an act of personal generosity and it is through such donations that allow the growth and enhancement of our campuses. With the gifts that are given, we are able to acquire new amenities and refurbish the old, which would not be possible through the operational budget. Mount Pleasant is no exception. In Butler County alone, 10.7% of the population is 65 or older, and these citizens represent the fastest growing segment of the entire population. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we can support programming both on and off campus the kinds of activities and resources that make Mount Pleasant s quality of life so exceptional. As many residents have said time and again, This isn t a place where you go to wind down your life. It s a place where you come to live. Philanthropy will continue to play a key role in ensuring that Mount Pleasant upholds the OPRS commitment to serving its residents and community. As the number of residents has been steadily increasing, the community of Mount Pleasant had outgrown their current Chapel. Historically lacking suitable space for worship, they had been using a multi-purpose room for chapel services, which lacked adequate privacy for individual prayer and meditation. They were anxious to erect a new and proper Chapel. Thanks to the generous donations of numerous people, mostly residents themselves, the $1.5 million goal for the project was met. The late Marian Snook, longtime resident, donor and leadership volunteer, was one of the three Honorary Tri-Chairs for the campaign, along with Verla McClure and the late Rosemary Vordenberg. These three ladies provided lead gifts equaling one-third of the total campaign. It was through their leadership, generous donations and ardent desire to bring a designated place of worship to Mount Pleasant that this Chapel became a reality. The groundbreaking for the new chapel occurred in October 2007 and it was formally dedicated as The Mary H. Kittredge Chapel in September 2008, named by the late Mary Kittredge whose quiet generosity has blessed Mount Pleasant for years. The chapel contains a balcony and moveable seating for 175 people, as well as ample room for choirs, congregants, sound equipment and acoustics. The new facility provides an appropriate atmosphere for spiritual life programs, services and meditation for residents and their families. Weekly worship is offered for three different levels of care and Bible classes are also available. A rich spiritual life provides our residents with a sense of peace, belonging and fulfillment. The new chapel improves the quality of life for current residents and prepares Mount Pleasant to care for the next generation of older adults. 2008 and beyond
Breckenridge Village, Willoughby Park Vista Retirement Community, Youngstown Cape May Retirement Community, Wilmington Rockynol, Akron Dorothy Love Retirement Community, Sidney Swan Creek Retirement Village, Toledo Lake Vista of Cortland, Cortland The Vineyard on Catawba, Port Clinton Llanfair Retirement Community, Cincinnati Westminster-Thurber Community, Columbus Mount Pleasant Retirement Village, Monroe
225 Britton Lane Monroe, Ohio 45050 513-539-7391 www.mountpleasant.oprs.org 112008