Kendal Marks 25th Anniversary

Community Now Home To Over 250

Mary Coulling can still recall a time when having a viable option for older adults to live in a residential community that offers continuing care without leaving Lexington was merely a pipe dream.

Mary and her husband, Sidney, were among the first to move into Kendal at Lexington when it opened in July 2000. However, its inception dates back to 1994, when a group of community members came together to meet the needs they saw in their beautiful town of Lexington.

She often reminisces about those early days — from the founding residents’ celebratory meal on their first evening in the unfinished dining room to maneuvering around the continued construction as she navigated the community spaces. Trees did not grace the landscape as they do today, and Kendal Hall, the fitness center and other amenities residents can enjoy now were yet to be realized.

“Before we actually moved in, my husband and I, from where we lived, could see and hear Kendal being built. Month after month, we hoped we could move in soon,” Mary said.

Twenty-five years later, Mary is pleased that she saw the dream become a reality and witnessed that small group of individuals transform into a community committed to redefining what it means to age well.

“I think all of the early newcomers felt a sense of gratitude,” Mary said. “We felt gratitude for the vision, hard work and generosity that transformed dreams and blueprints into the cottages and apartments we now occupy.”

Mary and other founders will participate in Kendal at Lexington’s 25th anniversary celebration on July 17.

The Beginnings

The first step in making Kendal at Lexington a reality began in 1994 when David Cox, then rector of the former Robert E. Lee Memorial Church, saw a lack of retirement options in Lexington.

Cox shared the idea with Dianne Herrick, the former director of the Lexington Downtown Development Association, and the two put together a team to serve on an exploratory planning committee. Within weeks, they had their first meeting, which lasted only 45 minutes.

The newly formed Lexington Retirement Community Board comprised David Cox, Dianne Herrick, Matt Paxton, Frank Correll, Jon Ellestad, Farris Hotchkiss, Barton Dick, Paul Maini, Beth Thompson and Ned Henneman.

“The board needed all those skills so that people would know they were serious about what they were endeavoring to do and that they were looking into the broad spectrum of all aspects of it,” Mary said.

The board knew the Lexington community and what they wanted, but they knew little about the Life Plan Community business. They worked tirelessly to raise funds, commission a feasibility study, acquire nonprofit status, and educate the public about Life Plan Communities, encouraging further investments and support.

Sunnyside and the Kendal Connection “We knew we would need an affiliation, money and a place where this would be. There were all sorts of things we needed to get in place for us to have a place where people thought they might want to come live,” resident and early trailblazer Dianne Herrick said.

After considering a few other location options but struggling to find a place that would meet all the necessary specifications — large, scenic, affordable — a fortuitous solution almost magically appeared.

In 1996, Fred and Isabel Bartenstein offered to donate Sunnyside House and 84 acres of the historic Sunnyside Farm. The Bartensteins’ gift helped secure credibility with investors and the wider community and attracted The Kendal Corporation, a not-for-profit organization currently comprised of 10 affiliated communities and organizations in eight states.

Four years later, in July 2000, the very first residents moved into Kendal at Lexington.

Growth

Kendal at Lexington has grown over the years, with several phases of expansion.

The first phase was dedicated in April 2001 and consisted of two apartment buildings, a community building and six cottage clusters.

Kendal broke ground for the second phase in 2007, a $20 million phase that included the construction of a 14-apartment extension onto the existing three-story south apartment building and 32 new cottages.

Phase III, completed in 2021 and which cost about $40 million, included the renovation and expansion of the Benjamin Borden Health Center and the construction of 30 new independent living cottages.

It was the cottages proposed in the third phase that became a hot topic at Lexington City Council meetings starting in 2016 when Kendal first announced plans for the rezoning of the property for the construction. Neighbors expressed concern about the project both before the rezoning was approved in January 2017 and after a blasting mishap sent debris into nearby homes in June 2018. The city issued stop work orders for blasting and excavation until new safety measures were established. Construction resumed in July and the cottages were completed early in 2020.

25 Years Of Gratitude

Today, Kendal at Lexington is home to over 250 older adults who reside on the mountainview land centered by the historically preserved Sunnyside House. Since the early days, about half of the residents have come from the Lexington vicinity, and half from all across the country.

The campus now offers cottages and apartments for independent living, assisted living apartments and the Benjamin Borden Health Center, which serves community members as well as Kendal residents. The programming and amenities include resident-driven programming, food, a fitness center and an art gallery, all designed to support residents’ emotional, physical, intellectual, cultural, social and spiritual well-being, said a spokesperson.

Since its opening, Kendal at Lexington, said the spokesperson, has embodied gratitude, friendship and learning together, as emphasized by the original residents who shaped the community.

“The residents who came early were not concentrating on what we didn’t have; we concentrated on what we did have. We had a beautiful field full of birds and flowers, and residents were resilient and adaptable,” said resident Ruth Woodcock, one of the first to join the community.

Community Connections As Kendal at Lexington celebrates 25 years, a new chapter starts with a new chief executive officer, Adam Day, who began his role in June this year.

As a nonprofit organization, Kendal at Lexington proudly reflects on the legacy of building a community and enriching lives, not only as a residential community for older adults, but also as a major employer that pays property and payroll taxes, said the spokesperson.

Residents of Kendal dedicate over 200 volunteer hours per month to the local area, and the community’s proximity to universities and colleges like Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute enhances the commitment to lifelong learning, the spokesperson said.

Partnerships with local organizations highlight how closely tied to Lexington the residential campus is. Collaborations include the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for tree plantings, Functional Pathways, which offers on-campus therapy services to the broader community, care provided at the Borden Health Center, area high schools that place student interns at the community and community colleges that gain access to job placements.

Dreams And Celebrations “The board and I are excited to celebrate Kendal at Lexington’s 25 years and are looking forward to what the next 25 will bring with a new CEO in place and a community full of wonderful residents, making this beautiful location in our special town such an amazing place to be,” said Pam Luecke, chair of the board of directors.

“Kendal at Lexington’s 25th anniversary celebrates the inspiring local community members who first envisioned this gorgeous community, and the enthusiasm of current residents and dedicated employees who continue to make the dream so sweet,” said Vassar Byrd, CEO of The Kendal Corporation.