The idea was to create a beautiful residence that could accommodate several dozen elderly men and women of British descent, who would form a social community. Based upon ability, the residents would contribute their skills in tending gardens and orchards, assisting with daily cooking and washing, and helping with other domestic duties. Based upon need, the residents would receive nursing and medical care from a dedicated staff who also lived within the social community. All residents would contribute whatever they owned (property as well as funds) in exchange for the security of knowing that the community would take care of all their needs for the rest of their lives.

The Daughters of the British Empire had already established a home of this kind in New York, and this provided confidence to Julie Cooke Adams and other DBE from Midwestern states that a similar, but even larger, community could be built in the countryside near Chicago.

In 1920, with the encouragement of Chicago utilities baron Samuel Insull and other friends in the British-American community, these ladies formed a charitable corporation in the state of Illinois for the purpose of founding...
                                                                  “The British Old People’s Home”.

By 1922, Insull had been persuaded to donate ten wooded acres just south of Salt Creek in Riverside, Illinois (later to be known as Hollywood, then again as Riverside, then finally as Brookfield). Contributions were raised not only to construct the original building but also to build reserves in an endowment fund.

In 1924, the foundation stone was laid for a redbrick building resembling an English manor house, designed by the firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White – a group of Daniel Burnham’s apprentices who by the end of the 1920s would receive many prestigious Chicago commissions (Civic Opera House, the Wrigley Building, the Merchandise Mart, and Soldier Field among others). It was in the spring of 1925 that the British Home opened its doors for the first time – its two wings embracing a rose garden placed in the exact center of the site, its dining and parlor rooms looking out on to the creek and surrounding woodlands.

Serving approximately 100 residents, The British Home became well known as a charity in the Chicago area with Mrs. Cooke Adams providing high profile leadership. Devoted volunteers from the DBE traveled long distances to support the cause not only through fundraising but also through personal forms of support for the residents (letter writing, gift giving, etc.). Decade by decade, the Home grew and buildings were added to enable expanded operations. In 1952, an infirmary wing was built to provide better facilities for long-term nursing care; as the next generation of leaders emerged (Elizabeth Mather became President), members of the founding generation (including Mrs. Cooke Adams herself) entered as residents of the community.

During the 1960s and 1970s, new factors influenced changes in the Home. The advent of state regulations for licensing of geriatric care facilities increased the need for, and the role of, staff in daily operations. The assets-for-life-care admission option became less attractive to potential residents. The development of new and much larger retirement communities redefined the expectations of customers, particularly those with some financial capacity. It was no longer possible to attract an adequate number of British-descent admissions to maintain adequate occupancy.

The Home responded in 1975 (with Florence Levin as President) with a full-scale modernization of its infirmary, and even more significantly in 1976 (with Brenda Weigelt as President) by loosening admission policy restrictions, eliminating life-care contracts, instituting an ongoing program of capital improvements, and in general opening the doors of the organization to the general community. In 1986, the Wye Valley Apartments were opened on the campus, adding an independent living option for active older adults to the Home’s list of services.

A new Health Care and Rehabilitation Center was added in 1990 (under the leadership of President Joyce Frascona), and a Medicare-certified distinct part was established subsequently. Our proud tradition of nursing care excellence has continued, and is the cornerstone of our organization’s reputation.

Another hallmark of our organization is its pride in innovation. And throughout the 1990s (with Joan Fallert as President), The British Home Community used modest resources to maximum advantage in advancing mission activities both on and off our campus. Programs such as Abbeyfield House (a shared residence for healthy seniors located in a Brookfield neighborhood), Handy Menders (a home repair service), and especially Staying-at-Home (a program to provide all forms of non-medical help to enable seniors to continue living independently in the general community) were instituted with success.

In Spring 2003, a new Assisted Living Center known as “The Woodlands” opened to approximately 70 new residents. Within it, an adaptable program of supportive services could be provided in a contemporary setting to persons who benefit from a community living experience but do not need skilled nursing care.

The vision of The British Home Community, as articulated in the strategic plan document developed by our Board of Directors in 2006, is “to be the definitive resource for solutions to help seniors”. At the heart of this vision is the concept of Active Living. Under the leadership of our President Glenys Winstone, a significant renovation of the original “Hub” building created space for a geriatric physician clinic, a new physical/occupational therapy space for inpatient and outpatient services, a modern fitness center, and a more practical central living room – collectively referred to as our “Active Living Center”.

As The British Home Community approaches its first full century of service, it remains a source of pride both to its founding group (the Daughters of the British Empire) and to the expanding community of seniors it serves.