The history of the county can’t be told without including the story of the Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. In 1821, the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders made history and authorized the building of the Cape May County Almshouse, often called the “poor house”. The Board recognized the need to care for the residents who were no longer able to care or support themselves. The Freeholders who made the decision included Abijah Smith, Richard Thompson, Jeremiah Leaming, Ezekiel Stevens and Joshua Townsend, names we recognize throughout the county today. The Freeholders soon learned that the costs to run the Almshouse turned out to be a more expensive than anticipated. It consumed 30 percent of the county’s annual budget of $3,000.
The current building is the third center built by the Board of Freeholders since 1821. The evolution from almshouse, to Welfare Home to Crest Haven Nursing Home has been an important part of the history of Cape May County.
In 1833, the Johnson Farm, located on the same parcel of land the current nursing home sits, was expanded and the farm was used to support the maintenance and residents of the almshouse. The tract of land, now called the Crest Haven Complex, was a farm that provided income to keep the residents by farming, raising cows and swine for food and income.
The Board of Chosen Freeholders named Robert Holmes, the county tax collector, Spicer Hughes, and James Townsend as trustees of the county almshouse. John S. Ludlum was appointed to the position of ‘poorhouse steward’, with instructions to keep the institution “free from disorder.” The steward was paid $200 a year and 25 cents a week for each pauper. As part of his duties he was expected to cut firewood, mend fences and other general upkeep of the farm. It is reported that Mr. Ludlum also made shoes. Care of the residents was his responsibility, occasionally, he hired nurses for those in need, and payment was part of the annual fee paid to him by the County.
As the county grew, expanding from farming communities in the mainland to fishing villages along the barrier islands, the need for an expanded space to house the poor was necessary. By the late 1930s, it was evident that a larger and more modern facility was crucial. The onset of World War I delayed construction, followed by World War II that created a scarcity of building materials and high cost, moved the opening of the Cape May County Welfare Home to January 1953. The Cape May County Welfare Home opened with 90 beds and was named Crest Haven Nursing Home. The need for the county nursing home continued to grow and in 1960, 53 more beds were added to the facility.
On August 20, 1987, Freeholder liaison, Gerald M. Thornton, invited the public to attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the new state-of-the-art Crest Haven Nursing Home. Recognizing the need to provide for the residents, Freeholder Thornton addressed the crowd by saying, “There is a definite need to protect our low income elderly residents and provide care for them within the county so they can remain close to their families”. Construction began on March 10, 1990, the Crest Haven Nursing Home, with 180 beds was dedicated, is located not far from the original Almshouse and continues in keeping with the promise , to provide care for those in need, made by the Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1821.
