Bulletin Article - November 2004

HISTORY OF "THE ESTAUGH"
by Kathy Tassini

In September 2004, a celebration of the 90th anniversary of "The Estaugh Corporation" took place at Medford Leas, a retirement community in Medford, NJ. The relationship between Haddonfield history and Medford Leas may not be immediately evident, but a look through the Historical Society Library brings to light a strong connection between the town of Haddonfield and "The Estaugh Corporation."

The question of how best to care for the elderly is not, as some might believe, a recent phenomenon. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, realized that there was a need for some sort of retirement home for the elderly of their community. For years, various Friends had taken in members of the Society who were in need in an informal way. In 1910, the first attempts to formalize the care of the elderly and needy were initiated. A group of about twenty Friends gathered at the home of Samuel and Abigail Willits on Grove Street in Haddonfield. They began to organize with the purpose of buying a property where "elderly or frail friends could find a comfortable home at a moderate cost."

The first formal Board of Managers included seven members who listed themselves as residents of Haddonfield, including Annie Barton, Alice and Mary Bell, Bertha Jones, Virginia Nicholson, and Abigail and Anna Willits. The first president of the Board was Charles D. Barton of Marlton.

In August of 1912, The Board of Managers of The Estaugh issued their First Annual Report covering the years 1911-12. According to the Annual Report, the first "Estaugh" opened on September 28, 1911 with two boarders and Mary Engle in charge as matron. It was located on King's Highway East in a ten room home which quickly proved inadequate. The "boarding home" had been opened after a physician "requested a room for a quiet place for a patient - a broken down teacher (a Friend), so she was given a room and care for several months." During the first year, another elderly lady, not a Quaker, lived at the Estaugh from the fall until her death in the spring. This resident wrote a letter to the Board to express her appreciation for having a place like the Estaugh where she could live. Over the course of the first year there were eight residents who lived at the Estaugh for varying periods of time. By the end of the year there were three permanent boarders and one temporary boarder who occupied all of the bedrooms of the house first used as "The Estaugh."

As a result of the immediate success of the project, the Board of Managers decided to purchase a larger house in a quieter location for the residence. They bought the property "at the S. W. corner of Centre Street and Lincoln Avenue, Haddonfield, New Jersey, where a larger house and shady lawn will provide better facilities. This brick house of 16 rooms is situated on a lot 180x190 feet. It was bought, with the carpets and part of the furniture, for $8,000." Eliza Browning was the matron for the new location at 104 Centre Street.

In the Second Annual Report for 1912-1913, the Managers reported that they had installed a new heating system, installed additional bathrooms, added another bedroom and had encouraged groups like the Penn Literary Society and the Friends Foreign Missionary Society to hold meetings at the house so that residents could participate. They also made note of the fact that they were beginning legal proceedings to incorporate The Estaugh in order to strengthen its financial and legal situation. The legal work was concluded in 1914 and "The Estaugh Corporation" came into being.

The community, both the Friends and the people of Haddonfield, quickly became involved supporters of the project. There were a large number of early supporters who were individually listed in the early Annual Reports. In the First Annual Report, it is noted, for example, that Emma Alexander gave five pieces of bric-a-brac while Lucy Bacon contributed 1/2 basket of squash. Rebecca and Sarah Nicholson, who lived at 65 Haddon Avenue and who were generous in all things relating to the Friends and to Haddonfield, gave a number of items including curtains for 5 rooms, a box of macaroni, rhubarb, whisk broom, and flowers several times. Haddonfield Quarterly Meeting was listed as having donated some of the basic foods, such as flour, salt, butter, cocoa and the like. Forty-eight individuals were listed as having given to the support of The Estaugh in the first year.

In the second year, when the property at 104 Centre Street was purchased, the donor list grew to 147, some of whom remained anonymous. The description of exactly what was donated was omitted, but a great deal of it appears to have been cash since the expenses of making improvements ($2,400) plus the expenses of operating the home ($2,500) were met, "with the exception of $600. The $5000 mortgage still stands, but it is hoped that the property may soon be cleared of debt, and the foundation laid for a substantial Endowment Fund." From the very beginning, the Board realized the importance of fiscal responsibility and planning for the endeavor.

In 1919, still located at 104 Centre Street, the Managers reported "that the friends of The Estaugh, in spite of unsettled and unnatural conditions existing in the world outside, have not forgotten to be thoughtful of its welfare." Obviously the events of WWI and the recent flu pandemic were intruding into the lives of even the small village of Haddonfield. They sadly report the death of Margaret Fothergill who had been a guest of The Estaugh since 1912, but also report a gift of $3,000 from their good friend, Mary R. White, which allowed them to pay off the mortgage on the property and begin to add to the Endowment Fund which had been begun in 1918 with a gift from Hanna P. Rudolph. Gratitude is also expressed for the donations of food to The Estaugh and note is made of the amount of food they are beginning to supply for themselves from their own garden and poultry yard.

The Estaugh continued quietly and successfully at 104 Centre Street until 1923 when a major change took place. Beulah M. Rhoads, long a supporter of The Estaugh, had for a number of years indicated her hope that The Estaugh would ultimately be able to move to her home at 56 Haddon Avenue upon her death. According to the Annual Report for 1923-4, "To have her home become the home of The Estaugh family was an ever present thought with her and dominated her care of the property, whether in planting a bit of shrubbery or adding some convenience to the house, that it might be as comfortable a home as possible for The Estaugh Family." At her death she left a legacy which was to be used to purchase her home. Another unidentified Rhoads relative added a substantial donation to the legacy, thus allowing The Estaugh to comply with Beulah Rhoads' wishes. The house, in its current state, did not have enough rooms for the needs of The Estaugh. It had, after all, been a private residence occupied by the Rhoads family.

In the Annual Report, the Managers make note of the fact that the move to 56 Haddon Avenue required them to enlarge the house. The report states that "more bedrooms were needed to meet the increasing demand. At the time of stupendous building cost in building, how was the situation to be met? They have felt heavily the responsibility placed upon them and would have shrunk from it had they dared. They have tried with their utmost ability to do the best they knew, to provide as wisely as they could (with the financial limitations) for the present and for the future." Rising to the occasion, a large addition to the house was constructed which was ever after know as "The Annex." From 1923 until about 1968, The Estaugh and its residents continued to be a quiet yet important asset to the town of Haddonfield.

In about 1967 The Estaugh Corporation wanted to build an addition to the existing facility which would consist of 15 to 20 one or two bedroom apartments which would have their own cooking facilities. The original house would remain intact as a residence where meals would be included so that residents would have a choice as to their living accommodations. They developed extensive plans which were approved by The Estaugh Board and they were even able to arrange financing for it.

Unfortunately at that point two things happened to derail the plan. Some local preservationists, who felt that the house and lot should be preserved exactly as they were, got up in arms about the plan. They claimed that it would create terrible traffic problems and went to all the neighbors to agitate against it. The second problem was actually within the Board. It involved members who were from Moorestown. The Estaugh did not plan to have medical facilities at the expanded facility. Instead they suggested that they would send residents with medical problems to The Greenleaf in Moorestown which already had those facilities. This upset the Moorestown members who felt that Haddonfield was going to "dump" its medical problems on them. As a result of these two problems, the decision was made to sell the Haddonfield property.

Medford Leas was the idea of Lou Barton whose wife was a member of the Board. He suggested that The Estaugh Corporation should start over with a new facility using the money from The Estaugh as seed money for Medford Leas. The new facility would address all the needs of older adults from independent living to nursing home. The Medford Leas which exists today is in many ways a result of the failure of Haddonfield to embrace the planned expansion in the late 1960's.