Remembering the Past…
The History of the Baptist Home
Todays accomplishments
will rest on the shoulders
and accomplishments of
our past. Please enjoy
this history of The
Baptist Home.
In the early 1890’s, it
was the vision and dream
of Mrs. John Thompson
of Newark to establish a
home for the aged in her
community. After visiting
numerous pastors and congregations, Mrs. Thompson and a group of concerned individuals met in
the North Baptist Church of Newark and, by resolution, organized “The Baptist Home Society.”
It soon became obvious to the newly elected officers and managers of The Baptist Home
Society that the first order of business was to find a building. On July 14, 1891, a house at
179 Fairmont Ave in Newark was leased and opened to the first residents. In the first year,
Mrs. Thompson became not only the founder but also the first President. In the First Annual
Report, it was mentioned that there were 64 managers representing 31 churches with a
Treasurer’s balance of $2,756.85. The administrator’s salary was $200 per year, a nurse
received $72 a year and the rent was $375 for the entire year. Yet in that first year, The
Baptist Home was able to care for 24 residents.
In the years to follow the need for a larger and permanent Home was addressed by the
purchase of a site on Roseville Avenue in Newark. After careful planning and much prayer,
groundbreaking took place and on June 9, 1910. Upon completion, the founder, Mrs. Thompson,
laid the cornerstone. She was 87 year old. As a tribute to her dedication and work of 20 years, the
Chapel was named “The Catherine Thompson Memorial Chapel.” The new facility on Roseville
Ave. could accommodate over 70 residents and was completed at a cost of over $57,000.
The Baptist Home at 285 Roseville Ave. has successfully served senior citizens for over 90
years, Through the conversion from oil lamps to electricity, through the blackouts and air raid
rehearsals of World War Two, through the modernization of the kitchen in 1954, and through
the enlargement and improvement of the infirmary. The 60’s and 70’s brought numerous
changes. The Home changed from a Life Contract Plan to a Boarding Plan as residents came
under the Medicare Bill of 1964. The residents of the Home also benefited with the addition of
a Beauty Parlor and a permanent residence next door for the Home’s Administrator.
In 1973, the Board began looking at the possibility of moving to a new location. The Board’s
dream was a larger site and a new building that incorporated the many advances in Senior Living
that could not be easily retrofitted into the venerable old building on Roseville Avenue.
The search for a new site took decades, but when the opportunity at Eagle Rock Ave in
West Orange was presented, the Board knew that their search was over. It is the hope of The
Baptist Home Society that with careful planning and much prayer, the Eagle Rock site will
thrive and The Cliffs at Eagle Rock will successfully serve our senior citizens well for the next
one hundred years.
The Baptist Home 295 Roseville Ave. Newark NJ 1891-2005
