1944 - 1961
Rogers Farm, Whiskeag Road, Bath, Maine
After the end of WWII, Marjorie MacDonald came to Bath, Maine from Estmere, Nova Scotia to attend nursing school. She met her future husband, John Tallman Voorhees and they were married in 1946. They lived on Bedford Street in Bath until 1960 when the couple purchased the Rogers Farm on Whiskeag Creek. In 1961 when a local physician asked Marjorie if she would care for a local elder, Marjorie took her into her home. HillHouse Convalescent Home was born! She was soon asked to care for another woman and then another -- until the Rogers Farm brick house became too small for the growing Voorhees family and the older women under their care. John and Marjorie built their own home just below the brick house and they and a few nursing staff kept a close eye on the older residents still living in the brick house.
1962 - 1974
HillHouse 1970's renovations
In the early 1970's, it was apparent that more room was needed to care for greater numbers of Bath's older residents. John and Marjorie embarked on a major expansion of the brick house and they added the first wing, now known as the "north wing". A brick pathway joined HillHouse and Marjorie and John's home so there was easy access to provide care at all hours of the day or night.
1975 - 2000
1980's renovations with updated kitchen, dining room and outside deck
Throughout the late 1970's and early 1980's HillHouse continued to expand. Another hallway of resident rooms was added and a sizable dining room and commercial kitchen. The grounds were improved with a long driveway and parking for visitors. HillHouse was a closely kept secret in the midcoast area, known primarily by word of mouth among doctors, nurses, and the local community.
On April 1, 1995, John Sr. died suddenly leaving Marjorie and her daughter Ann, an RN working at HillHouse, to manage all of the HillHouse operations. Marjorie was devastated by her husband's death and over the subsequent five years her own health began to fail.
In 1999, John Jr. (known to many locals as "Buzz"), his sister Ann, and Buzz's then-wife, Mary Lou Ciolfi, began work on upgrades to the existing structure and a near-doubling of capacity. This sizable project required a complete redesign of the site, the addition of two more floors, an elevator, and a reworking and expansion of the dining facilities.
On April 1, 1995, John Sr. died suddenly leaving Marjorie and her daughter Ann, an RN working at HillHouse, to manage all of the HillHouse operations. Marjorie was devastated by her husband's death and over the subsequent five years her own health began to fail.
In 1999, John Jr. (known to many locals as "Buzz"), his sister Ann, and Buzz's then-wife, Mary Lou Ciolfi, began work on upgrades to the existing structure and a near-doubling of capacity. This sizable project required a complete redesign of the site, the addition of two more floors, an elevator, and a reworking and expansion of the dining facilities.
2001 - 2020
2000-2001 major expansion and renovation to current structure
The building as it currently exists was completed in October 2001 and the name was officially changed to HillHouse Assisted Living, to reflect new state regulations and changing nomenclature in the long term care industry. Marjorie began to show signs of dementia in the early 2000's but for a few years longer she remained a calm and kind presence in the hallways of HillHouse. She moved into HillHouse in 2004 and died here on June 3, 2006. HillHouse remains owned by siblings, John and Ann Voorhees, and John has a regular presence on site. HillHouse has cared for many hundreds of local older people over its nearly 60 years and welcomed them and their family members as part of its own "family".
If you would like more information about HillHouse, we'd love to talk with you.
Call (207) 443-6301
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HillHouse
166 Whiskeag Road Bath, Maine 04530-4135 Phone: (207) 443-6301 Nursing Care Fax: (207) 443-3355 Alternate Fax: (207) 443-3977 |
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