History of the Home
The WCA Home, a fixture in the village of Fredonia since 1893, was designed by Enoch Curtis, a local architect and built in 1878 for Aaron O. Putnam and his family who moved to the village of Fredonia in 1853 from Massachusetts. Mr. Putnam and his cousin, Nathan Putnam, ran a successful dry goods store. The elaborate and sophisticated design of the house showed Putnam’s pride in his material success…Today most of the interior details and finishing’s remain and give a good idea of the richness of the elaborate homes of the village.
In 1893, the Women’s Christian Association, founded that same year with Mrs. Enoch A. Curtis as vice-president, purchased the Aaron O. Putnam House for the purpose of providing a home for elderly ladies. Mrs. Lorenzo Morris, the president contributed $4000 toward the purchase price, which was about $8000. The original charter, which is on display in the entryway, shows the intent of the organization to provide a home for women in the community who could no longer sustain a living on their own. This time, which followed the Civil War, saw many widows unable to keep up their homes by themselves and so by bringing their furnishings and worldly possessions to the home, they could live comfortably the rest of their days.
From the onset of the home’s establishment, the community showed its support by donating food on a regular basis and helped to maintain the home. In the early days, fund-raising was an annual event and school children would make a weekly visit with canned goods. Begun as a not-for-profit, non-denominational adult home for women, the WCA Home continues to follow the guidelines established in 1893.
Today the home, which has seen several additions over the 115 years of its existence, is overseen by a voluntary Board of Directors and is fully licensed by the New York State Department of Health. The WCA Home houses 37 adult women and has a staff of 28.
The WCA Home personalizes:
- History
- Home-like atmosphere
- Friendly staff
- Laundry and housekeeping services
- Home cooked meals and snacks
- Assistance with daily living, dressing, bathing and medication
- Activities and transportation
For more information please call or email the WCA Home.
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