Vacant Chester Township care center a sign of the times

CHESTER TWP. - The 15-acre Glenlora property, a former nursing home on West Main Street remains empty and unused, eight years after the township bought the property for $3 million.

The plan at the time of purchase of the 63 W. Main St. property was to lease it to United Cerebral Palsy, which planned to develop a rehabilitation and respite facility along with 10 apartments for low-income people with disabilities. The housing would have met the township's affordable housing requirement under the state's Council on Affordable Housing (COAH).

But United Cerebral Palsy was unable to secure needed funding and the plans fell through.

The township bought the facility with funds paid by developers to the town's affordable housing trust fund.

"The idea was that individuals who were caregivers could arrange to have their ward stay at the center for a period of time so that the caregivers could do something, like take a vacation, while the person they cared for would be in a position to go somewhere seeking treatment and accommodation," said Mayor Bill Cogger.

"It's not an easy condition to travel with. They would have done rehabilitative work there as well with patients. Unfortunately, after we purchased it, their funding fell through."

Historical Facility

The circa 1878 structure includes two massive stone fireplaces, wide timbers and many classic colonial-style details. It served as the Glenlora Nursing Home for many years and was purchased in 2003 by Mohammed El-Hawwat, a professional engineer from Long Valley.

El-Hawwat who operated the facility as a nursing and community outreach service, cited rising operational and maintenance costs as the reason for selling the property.

Glenlora Nursing home was housed in a stone barn built by Henry Seward in 1878. His cousin, William Henry Seward, was Secretary of State in Lincoln's Cabinet, and was responsible for "Seward's Folly," the purchase of Alaska, according to Chester Historical Society records. Seward was also seriously wounded by a conspirator involved in the assassination plot of President Lincoln.

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Vacant Chester Township care center a sign of the times