Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Independent living apartments are located in the Southview building of Homewood at Martinsburg, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

MARTINSBURG — Although Homewood at Martinsburg is actually in North Woodbury Township, it is considered a Martinsburg landmark.

“We are so blessed to have them in our community, not only for the care that they provide but also for the employment that they provide to our area and beyond. I’ve been in the community of Martinsburg since 1976 and it is just unbelievable as to how they have grown,” said Martinsburg Mayor Richard Brantner Sr.

“The entire complex is so beautiful,” he said. “Their reputation for the care that they give is outstanding.”

Homewood at Martinsburg is marking its 50th anniversary this year.

The Rev. Samuel Givler, pastor at St. John’s United Church of Christ, is credited for founding what started out as a 67-bed nursing home.

“Rev. Givler thought the United Church of Christ needed a place for older folks in Martinsburg. It was founded on a 32-acre farm on this site,” said Robin Stern, current executive director.

Givler secured the land in 1963 and ground was broken in 1972 on what had been the David Miller farm.

On Jan. 7, 1974, the nursing home opened its doors to its first six residents. By December 1974, the beds were full and approximately 52 persons were employed.

Today, Homewood at Martinsburg is no longer affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Instead, it is one of five communities owned and operated by Homewood Retirement Centers Inc., a continuing care corporation founded in 1932, based in Williamsport, Md., and operated by a board of directors.

Homewood at Martinsburg has grown from a nursing home to now offering all levels of care and multiple senior living options. These include independent living apartments and cottages, assisted lifestyle apartments and health care accommodations, including short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled nursing care and a secure memory care unit.

“We have 100 cottages, 31 independent living apartments, 61 assisted lifestyle apartments, 15 personal care dementia rooms and 129 beds in the health care center for skilled nursing and dementia,” Stern said. “We have over 300 people on campus. We have some cottages that are empty and the health care center is not completely full. Since COVID we do not fill every bed.”

Homewood at Martinsburg has undergone several expansion projects over the years.

In 1990, Homewood’s board of directors approved a $13 million, two-phased expansion that included the development of apartments and cottages and a community center that included a bank, convenience store, coffee shop, library, card room, auditorium and craft area. The nursing center expanded from 67 beds to 84.

In 1992, Homewood at Martinsburg began expansion into a continuing care retirement community that would include 30 residential apartments and a community center (known as Northview) and 16 residential cottages. The first apartment and cottage residents moved into their homes in late 1993.

October 1995 marked completion of an addition to the health care center for administrative offices and a new Alzheimer’s and related dementia care wing.

The next large expansion occurred in 2004, when ground was broken on what is now the Southview Building, providing a community center that included a cafe, fitness center, swimming pool and new independent living apartments. This expansion allowed for the prior apartments to accommodate a new level of care: assisted lifestyle services.

The latest project, the Bice Memorial Chapel and Givler Cultural Center, was added in 2016. It is an 8,000-square-foot building designed to serve residents in numerous ways. It is Homewood’s chapel where worship services are held each week, and with a state-of-the-art sound system and full stage, it can be used for a multitude of different productions. The addition has enhanced the lives of Homewood residents and opened the door for a larger variety of activities and events to be held on campus.

Homewood at Martinsburg is best known for providing an outstanding quality of care.

“I think we are the best in the business, we are the best at what we do. We are not selling cottages and apartments, we are selling peace of mind and a carefree lifestyle for people,” said Juls Bratton, sales and marketing director. “We are known for a sense of community for our independent living residents. Some of them don’t have anyone, we are their family. They can do everything here, it is like a city within a city.”

Stern and Bratton credit Homewood’s 244 employees for its success. Many are long-time employees.

“Seventy-seven of our staff have been here 10 years or more, a lot have been here 20 years or more,” Bratton said

“Our staff tells us they work here because of the relationships we build with residents. We literally have family members taking care of each other’s family members on this campus,” Stern said.

Vickie Roudabush, a registered dietetic technician, has worked at Homewood for 46 years.

“It has had its ups and downs and joys and sorrows but overall it has been a wonderful experience. Many of the staff and residents become like part of your family. So when something happens in their lives it affects all of us because we are one big family,” Roudabush said. “I love taking care of my residents.”

Many of Homewood’s residents are people who had moved away from the area and decided to come back “home.”

“A lot of people who come here want a slower pace and want to be closer to their family,” Bratton said.

Fifty years a significant milestone

“I like knowing I am part of an organization that has grown and kept up with the times and there is a real sense of family and community here,” said Stern, who is optimistic about the future of Homewood.

“We hope to continue to grow and meet the needs of the residents who come here to live. I hope we can continue to engage people who want to work in this environment,” Stern said.

Expanding Homewood’s footprint is a possibility, but some plans prior to the pandemic are being revisited to make sure they are relevant moving forward, Stern said, noting the facility has additional property on which to build.

The official 50th anniversary celebration will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. May 15.

“We will have some people here who knew Rev. Givler. We still have people here connected to our roots,” Stern said.

Thad Rothrock, president/CEO of Homewood Retirement Centers Inc., said “in the Bible, we find pure and undefiled religion before God is described as visiting orphans and widows in their time of trouble. In Martinsburg, this purest of religion was modeled for all by Rev. Givler, who would not rest until Homewood at Martinsburg was established to care for the vulnerable elderly in the Martinsburg vicinity.”

Since its founding in Martinsburg 50 years ago, Rothrock said “the Lord has blessed the ministry of Homewood and expanded its ministry to include serving seniors with varied needs. We believe to whom much is given, much is expected and strive to meet this expectation daily.”

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.