MONTGOMERY COUNTY GERIATRIC &
REHABILITATION CENTER
Once known as the “almshouse,” the Montgomery County Geriatric & Rehabilitation Center has become one of the most modern facilities of its kind in this part of the United States. This is credited to the foresight and concern of the County Commissioners. The facility is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and certified for Medicare and Medical Assistance participation.
A group of citizens cited the need for a county home in 1801. No action was taken until 1806, however, when State Representative Nathaniel B. Boileau, of Hatboro, introduced the measure and brought about its passage by the legislature. It was to be “a house for the employment and support of the poor.” Due to a technicality, action on the project was delayed until January of 1807.
Meantime, interested citizens had gathered in Center Square in 1806 to discuss a site for the home. They proposed building on the east bank of the Schuylkill River in Upper Providence Township. The seven-member commission named by the legislature in 1807 honored this proposal and purchased 265 acres of farmland from Abraham Gotwalt, in the locality known as Black Rock or Garwood. Additional acquisitions have brought the total acreage to 326 as of the present time.
A building was constructed in 1807. The Directors of the Poor, responsible then for operating the almshouse, announced that they would receive paupers from June 7 to 11, 1808. The first administrative officer was Jacob Barr, who held the title of “steward.” Fire destroyed the almshouse in 1821; it was rebuilt immediately. The number of residents grew steadily, and in 1870, the County Commissioners authorized construction of a new and larger building. It was built of stone from a quarry on the property and was completed by the end of 1871. On March 14, 1872, the old building went up in flames, taking the lives of six male residents. The Commissioners authorized construction of a hospital, which was ready for occupancy in 1900. It was joined to the 1871 facility by a corridor and built of the same stone. The building was remodeled in 1940, but the 1900 date stone remains embedded in the porch.
In November 1952, the Executive and Administrative Officers of the Institution District County Commissioners Foster C. Hillegass, Fred C. Peters, and Raymond K. Mensch voted to name the county facility the “Charles Johnson Home” in honor of a long-time, local county and state official who died in 1937.
Some 14 years later, in May of 1966, Commissioners A. Russell Parkhouse, William W. Vogel, and Daniel T. Costello appointed an advisory board to serve the Commissioners and Administrator of the Johnson Home on operation of the Center. Further expansion in the late 1960s resulted in the construction of the eight-story North Building and complete renovation and modernization of the Center. It was dedicated on September 23, 1972, and given its new name of Geriatric & Rehabilitation Center, which reflects its changing role in health care.
The Center provides 650 full-time job positions, offering high-quality professional performance by coordinating rehabilitative therapy with palliative treatment to enhance the quality of life for our 591 residents. In 1991, Commissioners Paul B. Bartle, Floriana Bloss and Rita Banning participated in the dedication of our full-service laundry addition and approved our licensed day care center. We now provide a full range of physician and nursing services, clinics and X-ray, physical, occupational and speech therapies, recreation and activities.
Administrator
1600 Black Rock Road
Royersford, PA 19468
610-948-8800
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