History - Pine Valley Community Village

Date	History Made
11/20/1865	At a meeting of the County Board, providing a home for the “aged, decrepit, and indigent persons of the county” was first mentioned. No action was taken at that time.
11/01/1870	The motion to establish a “Poor Farm” was denied at the Richland County Board.
11/19/1877	A resolution was finally adopted abolishing the town poor system and substituting the county relief plan. There was one stipulation in the resolution: the said Poor Farm must NOT be located within two and ½ miles of any populated village within the County. An additional tax levy was imposed on the County for this purpose. First superintendents of the poor were appointed: T.C. Clark, L.M. Thorp, and A.M. Greenheck.
01/24/1878	The Poor Farm Commissioners have been in town the past few days. They are looking for farms. Among them under consideration are those of Augustus Hoskins of Fancy Creek and William Bay on Horse Creek.
2/6/1878	The superintendents of the poor reported to the County Board that they were unable to procure suitable location for the poor farm under the restriction stipulated by the Board. The county Board gave the superintendents the authority to choose a location with no restrictions.
2/14/1878	The Poor Farm Commissioners have selected the site of the Poor Farm and have purchased the farm of T.C. Clark in the town of Bloom about a mile from the village of Woodstock. There are 200 acres with 150 of them under cultivation. The barn is 36 by 70 with a nine foot stone basement for stabling is one of the finest in the county.
3/9/1878	The superintendents of the poor purchased a tract of land, which was located in the northwest quarter of section 36 and the northeast quarter of section 35 in the Town of Bloom, containing 200 acres. The price paid was $5,000.00 of which amount $1,000.00 was paid down and the balance was to be made in two equal payments, in one and two years. Mr. Robert N. McKay was appointed the first overseer, thus becoming the first administrator of the institution, as we know it today. He was hired at a salary of $500.00 per year.
1879	19 inmates in the county poor house. Of these were five insane, five indigents, and nine orphans. The total cost of running the farm and poorhouse was $1879.60 and products were valued at $1557.27. The average cost per person came to about $0.88 per week. The big house at the Poor Farm served both as “Poor House” and “Insane Asylum.”
11/17/1883	17 Inmates residing at the poor farm with the weekly cost of maintaining each individual now $1.86.
1885 ?	Information concerning the large brick building south of the main house and called the asylum is “strangely absent.”
Sometime near 1895	A.M. Grumbecker traded land he owned south of Richland Center for the farm property at Bloom City. It was some time before it became completely a private possession.
Shortly after 1895	The asylum below Richland Center was built, however, the Bloom City property was still in use, as least for a Poor Farm.
1895	New buildings were erected upon a tract of land, which had been purchased by the County about 2 ½ miles south of Richland center on sections 34 and 35 of the town of Richland.
09/1895	The County’s patients occupied the new buildings. In a book entitled “History of Richland Center” (1906), the building was described. “The main building is indeed a handsome structure, of red brick and cut stone, two and one-half stories above the basement, covering a ground area of 38 by 100 feet and is designed to answer the needs of the county for many years to come.”
11/1895	Permission was secured from the State Board of Control to build a county insane asylum upon the Poor Farm.
04/1896	Construction began on the county insane asylum upon the poor farm.
01/1897	The county insane asylum was completed and accepted by the State Board of Controls. “The building as a whole is one of architectural beauty, substantial of construction, conveniently arranged and furnished and complete in every way pertaining to comfort and economy.”
09/06/1897	Mr. Watson resigns as administrator; Mr. L.T. Johnson assumes the position.
06/30/1905	23 Inmates in the alms department of the institution and 123 patients in the asylum.
After 1910	All operations were moved to the new location.
1916	Mr. Johnson killed in auto accident; Charlie Snyder replaces administrator.
05/07/1929	Richland County Home for the Aged (erected in 1895) was burned to the point beyond repair.
06/1929	County Board in special session appropriates $25,000.00 for new building, to be erected south and west of the county asylum, which will give an approach to it by the road through the asylum grounds.
Later 1929	Construction of building now known as Pine Valley West begins.
10/1930	West Home was built and ready for use, following the fire. With its completion the institution then had three separate operations: General Hospital, County Farm, and County Home for the Aged. The Hospital had a capacity for 154 patients and the county Home approximately 38. It was pronounced one of the finest, if not the best, in the state. There are 17 inmates who will be moved to the new home from the County Asylum where they have been housed since the fire.
1934	Mr. Wesley Towne becomes administrator.
1944	Mr. & Mrs. Carl Bloedow is the administrator and matron.
1946	Mr. & Mrs. Wesley Towne return as administrator and matron.
03/1/1953	Mr. & Mrs. David Smith become administrator and matron.
Latter 1950’s	A citizen’s group was appointed to study the need for more nursing home beds. Following their findings of a need a referendum was held in which the people of Richland County decided to proceed with a building project.
1961	Mr. William Roewer serves as administrator.
07/1961	The East Home was dedicated as a skilled care Home having a capacity for 70 skilled care patients.
11/1962	Vernon Stannard serves as administrator.
1963	State Board of Control declared the insane asylum no longer fit for patient occupancy. A decision was reached by the County Board of Supervisors to close the County Asylum, built in 1897. Patients who were from other counties along with many of those who were Richland County residents were transferred to other facilities through out the state. Those remaining were moved to the west building, which was built in 1929.
04/1965	Bernard Ruse, former County Board Chairman, becomes administrator until his death in February 1973.
04/1973	Mr. Ruel Irwin serves as interim administrator until December 1973
Spring 1973	County Board of Supervisors was informed that the West Home was no longer a fire safe building and in order to comply with National Fire Protection standards it would require many costly improvements. Board of Trustees recommended to the County Board that continued use of the building was not in the best interests of the County.
06/1973	County Board passed a resolution and appointing a committee to investigate the need and to recommend the size and type of a new addition to be added to the East Home.
03/1974	Mr. Dale Pauls is named as administrator.
06/25/1974	County Board of Supervisors awarded contracts for the construction of a building project estimated to cost $4,308,256.00. This was to include a 3 story nursing wing and also a service wing which would expand the Dietary facilities. Only the 1st two floors of the nursing wing were to be completed at this time, which would mean an addition of 71 beds. This would bring the total number of beds in the East Home to 141.c
07/08/1974	Ground breaking ceremony.
07/15/1974	Construction begins.
06/20/1975	Open house held to honor completion of the addition. Patients began to occupy their new addition immediately following the Open House, leaving the west building empty.
10/28/1975	Because adults other than senior citizens reside in the building, Richland Senior Citizens’ Home has been renamed Pine Valley Manor. Names submitted by Ruby White, an employee of the home, and by Elizabeth Gray, a resident of the home, were combined to form the winning name.
After 10/28/1975	Feasibility study being conducted on the West Home Building at Pine Valley. Looking at converting to low income housing for Seniors, with meals, laundry, housekeeping, recreation, and transportation services provided by Pine Valley. In addition to these, nursing service will be available on an emergency basis.
12/1975	Auction sale of 171 head of Holstein cows and heifers held at the Richland County Farm. In years past, the farm was a source of food and work therapy for the mental health hospital and home for the aged poor.
1975	Second floor becomes Medicare A certified.
Spring 1976	Bids taken for the demolition of the asylum, which had been constructed in 1897.
07/1976	Richland County Board of Supervisors approved extra cost for West Home remodeling to create offices and apartments in the building.
08/1976	Construction begins on remodeling project.
02/1977	Construction project completed.
12/1977	All apartments in West Home are occupied.
06/27/1978	Meeting of the county Board a study committee was appointed to research the possibility of selling the Richland county Farm.
07/18/1978	A resolution was passed by the Richland county Board of Supervisors authorizing a need and feasibility study for completing the 3rd floor of the 1975 addition.
01/1979	Richland County Board voted against proceeding with the expansion project, due to a question of being able to finance this project and also possibly a new jail-courthouse facility.
08/1979	The county Board authorized issue of general obligation bonds totaling $350,000 for completing this construction project.
08/21/1979	The farm is divided into 4 parcels. Bids were opened and sold off, with the exception of Parcel #1 (23 acre site). Irvin Jacobson who had submitted a bid of $39,000 for Parcel #1 initiated litigation over this parcel. He had submitted the highest bid but Richland county decided to award the bid to Unbehaun and Schmitz. The county did this because the land in Parcel #1 was adjacent to Parcel #4 which Schmitz and Unbehaun had purchased and it would have provided certain advantage to the operation of this large parcel.
10/02/1979	Farm auction was held as a disbursement sale in which machinery and grains were sold. As of that date, Richland county ceased operating a county farm, which had been in existence for more than 100 years. Richland county signed a 10-year lease with Raymond Schmitz and Allen Unbehaun for the use of the farm buildings. In addition, Richland county has stipulated that there will be an additional 40-acre buffer zone beyond these 40 acres on which no buildings may be constructed.
04/1980	Construction begins to complete 3rd floor.
03/13/1981	Patients moved into the new resident rooms on 3rd floor. During the remaining portion of that month 20 new residents were admitted with the majority of them transferring from the Richland Hospital Nursing Home which was being closed.
05/10/1981	An open house was held to recognize the completion of the 3rd floor.
01/1982	Pine Valley Manor consists of a 176 bed skilled nursing facility and 9 retirements for the elderly.
05/1988	Mr. Dale Pauls ends his term as administrator.
06/1988	Mr. Chuck Aber is named as administrator, until 1992.
1992	Ms. Karen Stoll is named as administrator.
Spring 1992	Third floor is remodeled to include a Special Care Unit. This unit is separated from the rest of third floor, and is designed as a low stimuli, structured environment with specialized programming for residents with dementia.
1995	Pine Valley West is remodeled. The number of apartments increases to 18. An elevator is added to increase accessibility to second floor.
12/1996	Karen Stoll resigns as administrator.
01/1997	Kathleen Cianci is named as administrator.
07/1998	Certified Medicare A beds move to first floor.
2003	Pine Valley Community Village celebrates its 125th Anniversary!
2003	Director of Nursing attains wound care certification. Facility specializes in treating difficult wounds.
04/01/2005	Certified entire facility for Medicare Part A to minimize room change to access Medicare.
Late 2005	Incontinence Consultant begins to see residents.
2006	Implement culture change movement to self-directed care with flexible meal times.
03/01/2006	De-license additional beds – maximum capacity now 104 beds.
Spring 2006	Complete extensive renovation to the first floor rehabilitation/therapy area and resident rooms, relocate the shower room within the wing and double the socialization area on first floor. Create three rooms to accommodate bariatric.
Early 2007	Offer on-site audiology services.
08/2007	Major flood causes extensive damage to the basement of the West apartments necessitating evacuation of the tenants for two nights.
2007	Facility secures state of the art therapy equipment that maximizes outcomes for therapy clients.
2008	Community celebrates Pine Valley’s 130th Anniversary.
2009	Healthdrive a mobile contract service offering audiology, dental, podiatry, and vision begins service to the facility and provides in-house treatment.
2010	October-closed 18 independent apartments located at the west home across the drive due to census. Dental office had been renovated on second floor and facility allows use of the room for Medicaid dental exams of children by outside hygienist monthly.
2011	Pine Valley Foundation sponsors a fundraising campaign to purchase electric beds for the facility.
2012	Pine Valley Foundation meets the goal of furnishing all-electric beds to the facility residents through the generous support of the community.
2013	Pine Valley Trustees begin exploration of options for the facility based on completion of a strategic plan by Wipfli which recommends building a new, smaller homelike structure with a Community Based Residential Facility for assisted living. Much future need for county nursing home predicted.
2013	Pine Valley celebrates 135 years of service to the community.
2014	The Pine Valley Trustees select Eppstein Uhen Architects to design a new nursing home with CBRF utilizing the neighborhood concept. CG Schmidt is selected as Construction Manager for the project. A construction subcommittee consisting of County Board supervisors and some staff spend the year in the design process. Schematic design is completed for an 80 bed Skilled nursing facility with 20 bed households and a 16 bed CBRF. The Design Development phase begins. Solar energy and geothermal are considered as green sources of energy for the building.
2015	Two additional County Board supervisors are added to the Pine Valley Trustee Committee bringing the total to seven.
06/2015	Groundbreaking ceremony on new 80 SNF and new 16 CBRF facilities.
04/2016	Name officially changed to Pine Valley Community Village, Assisted Living Center, Skilled Nursing Center, Rehabilitation Center.
10/2016	Substantial completion of new building, renovation of part of 1970’s structure continues.
11/03/2016	Move 80 skilled nursing residents to the new structure. Open 16 bed assisted living and renovated therapy department with training bathroom and ceiling lift to support residents as they walk