Over 30 Years of Growth in Response to Need

In 1970, a committee of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends gave a grant of $300,000 to a local group for the study of the possible development of a retirement community in Chester County, Pa. In 1971, ground was broken for Kendal at Longwood, the first Kendal community.

In the 30+ years since then, in response to the needs of other local groups, Kendal has developed and opened three more communities in Chester County, and also communities in Hanover, New Hampshire; Oberlin and Granville, Ohio; Ithaca and Sleepy Hollow, New York; and Lexington, Virginia.

With the affiliation of Barclay Friends in West Chester, Pa., and Lathrop Communities in western Massachusetts, Kendal continues to respond to the call to broaden its service.

Bill Rogers, Kendal Corporation board member, has said that: “Excellence is a habit. We choose and prize and act upon our beliefs. Over time they achieve consistency through repetition. We at Kendal have deep roots that sustain us, fundamental values and relationships that animate and drive our work.”  

Kendal will continue to integrate service, learning, and research. We will continue to to evolve to meet the expectations and needs of the wider society. And in all our efforts, we will continue to draw strength and wisdom from our Quaker values to help us meet the needs of each individual we serve and each individual with whom we work.