For years the residents of the Akron area
had cherished the hope of a home for the aged. In the
Spring of 1957, Mrs. Germaine Karg and Mrs. Anne Doran Walsh
went to the Mother M. Rosalia, Mother General of the Dominican
order, to see if they would be interested in staffing a home
for the aged in Akron. Mother Rosalie confirmed that
they would be interested, pending approval from the Bishop.
In 1957 Archbishop Hoban made the first
public announcement of a pending home for the aged in Akron.
Joseph Jacobs and his sister Sophie owned a small home on a 26
acre tract on Smith Road in Bath Township. Mother
Rosalie was convinced that this would be an excellent place
for a home for the aged and contacted Catholic Charities about
the property. On February 28, 1962, the Diocese signed
an agreement with Joseph and Sophie Jacobs to purchase their
property.
One of the main purposes of the 1961 and
1962 Catholic Charities Campaigns was to raise funds for the
construction of St. Edward Home. Construction of the 100
bed facility began in late 1962 with completion in June 1964.
The building was dedicated on June 27, 1964. At that
time, Reverend Thomas W. McGovern, the newly appointed
Chaplain, along with five Dominican Sisters, took up residence
and helped begin operating St. Edward Home.
The first residents of St. Edward Home were
Joseph and Sophie Jacobs. They were admitted on
September 9, 1964.
Over the years, St. Edward Home's commitment
to service has expanded. In 1989 a major renovation was
completed which resulted in the addition of a 26 bed assisted
living unit. The purpose behind this addition was to
meet a community need for a level of care between skilled
nursing care and independent living.
Also in 1989, ground was broken for the
construction of an independent living facility. The 150
unit facility opened in late 1990. The new facility
consisted of Hampton House, Canterbury Manor and the Village
Centre. This addition further
expanded St. Edward Home's options of services available for
older adults. To more fully reflect the range of our
services, the name was changed to The Village at St. Edward.
The Village at St. Edward Foundation was
created in 2001. The Foundation's purpose is to ensure
that the ministry of The Village at St. Edward is carried
forward into the twenty-first century.
Most recently in 2004, Canterbury Manor was
converted to a licensed residential care/assisted living
facility. The purpose behind this conversion was to
provide residents the ability to remain in their homes for as
long a time as possible.
Since that date in 1964, St. Edward Home has
grown into a campus community that has served more than 2,000
residents and is currently serving more than 270 older
adults. Through its ministry, St. Edward Home has
touched the lives of thousands of family members and friends.
