THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 25, 1996 TAG: 9604230165
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY SCOTT McCASKEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 139 lines
GRACE SAWYER REMEMBERS the old Ballentine Home for the Aged when she was a little girl.
The year was about 1917.
She recalls the Ballentine's large, open yard.
She remembers speaking to the residents from the other side of the fence.
``My aunt lived in the neighborhood, and one day I stopped to talk to the nice, old women,'' says Sawyer, now 85. ``My aunt said it was fine to chat but not to go inside because she didn't think children were allowed in there.''
Now a women's dormitory along Park Avenue on the Norfolk State University campus, the imposing structure that once housed the Mary F. Ballentine Home for the Aged marks the beginning of a tradition of caring for Norfolk's elderly.
That tradition continues today.
The legacy lives at The Ballentine home at 7211 Granby St., an important landmark for many of the city's seniors. The facility is celebrating the centennial of the nonprofit institution, which began in 1896 when Thomas R. Ballentine founded the Park Avenue site.
On April 14, a sculpted brick sign was dedicated on the Granby Street home's front lawn. Sawyer, who has lived in The Ballentine for 18 years, said that the dedication is fitting for a residence to which she is quite attached.
``It's a very special celebration in that the institution has lasted so long and is still thriving,'' said Sawyer, who grew up in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
The Ballentine has hosted several commemorative events this month, including a visit for tea on April 18 from this year's Azalea Festival queen, Emilie Larissa Patijn. An exhibit by the late Norfolk artist Kenneth Harris is currently on display. An original painting of the old Ballentine home by Harris hangs in the Granby Street site. On April 22, Ballentine residents appeared on a wake-up greeting for ABC-TV's ``Good Morning America.''
Even without special events, occupants at the home have a variety of activities available to them, including organized outings to restaurants, museums and shopping malls, as well as day trips to destinations such as Williamsburg, Smithfield Station and Tides Inn.
The facility is designed for singles and couples age 65 and over who are capable of independent living, those without serious mental or physical impairments who can function comfortably in a social environment, requiring only minimal assistance.
``The site is beautiful, and you can make your life here beautiful if you try,'' said Frances Davis, a spry 82-year-old who has lived at the Ballentine for five years and often walks to Wards Corner to shop.
The attractive, two-story brick Georgian Revival-style structure was built in 1952 and has 52 rooms, landscaped gardens, fountains and solariums. Services and amenities include a health clinic staffed 24 hours a day, a library, chapel, barber/beauty salon, activities area, free transportation and three meals a day in an intimate dining room. The home's furnishings are upscale, with an abundance of antiques, grandfather clocks and brass appointments.
Ruth Davis, 94, moved in less than a year ago.
``My daughter used to work here on weekends, and I thought it would be a grand place for me to come once I couldn't continue to live by myself,'' Davis said. ``It's a real friendly place, and the gardens are beautiful. I love to sit and read the paper and look at all the blooming flowers.''
Most residents say they prefer the spring and summer seasons. The Granby High School Band puts on an annual show every May, which is nationally designated as Older Americans Month. Always a hit, the performance this year is scheduled for May 9.
``Those Granby kids are special - we love them,'' Sawyer said.
The building originally was a dormitory-style facility for women only, but in 1985 was renovated extensively and made open to men. Most tenants - half of whom are 90 or older - are longtime Norfolk residents. Today there are 51 people living in The Ballentine, including one couple and seven men.
``Our hairdresser was super busy the day before the guys came,'' said Judy Raymond, the home's administrator.
Residence does not come cheaply, however. Rooms start at $1,300 a month, with renewable month-to-month lease terms. Virginia Griffin, assistant administrator and somewhat of a Ballentine historian, said that the cost is in line with most upscale retirement facilities in the area.
The Ballentine is a continuation of the Mary F. Ballentine Home for the Aged but with some major changes made during the institution's 100 years. Thomas R. Ballentine, a prosperous truck farmer and prominent Norfolk citizen at the turn of the century, established the institution in honor of his first wife. The Ballentine legacy is evident in the boulevard and neighborhood that bear the name.
According to the newspapers of the day, the home was meant for Norfolk residents only, ``gentle folk of irreproachable family.'' Applicants had to provide testimonials to their character. If approved, residents had to turn over all of their assets to the Ballentine.
In exchange for meeting these requirements, the elderly women would be taken care of in the then-modern facility for the rest of their lives, including burial expenses. The building was nearly vacant for two years until the restrictions were relaxed.
The home operated for more than five decades before moving to the more modern site on Granby Street. Women from the original location, as well as new residents, were provided for under the lifetime care arrangement until 1985, when the policy was changed to a month-to-month lease agreement more in keeping with the economic times.
Today, six original Ballentine women remain under the lifetime care program, one of whom is Sawyer. The other five women reside at Westminster-Canterbury and Windermere Nursing Home in Virginia Beach, both of which provide more intensive care services.
``The amazing thing is that Mr. Ballentine had the resources and vision to perpetuate this institution for over a hundred years,'' said John Hanbury, who is on the board of trustees of the original Ballentine Home.
The Ballentine on Granby Street is managed by Westminster-Canterbury of Hampton Roads and affiliated with the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches. The facility has a separate board from the original home.
The Rev. James Sell, of Christ and St. Luke's Episcopal Church, is on the board of the newer home, as well as the co-chairman of the centennial anniversary committee.
``This is a strong, well-run facility,'' Sell said. ``It's growing, and we have plans to expand the building in the future. It's been 100 years with a bright future ahead. That certainly is an important thing to be celebrating.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover by JIM WALKER
The Ballentine
Staff photos by JIM WALKER
The original Mary F. Ballentine Home for the Aged on Park Avenue now
serves as a Norfolk State University women's dorm.
Elizabeth W. Berry, left, and Frances Davis chat in the dining room
at The Ballentine.
Grace Sawyer has enjoyed living at The Ballentine on Granby Street
for 18 years.
Landscaped gardens and fountains enhance the home's grounds.
Elizabeth Lohman works on a puzzle in the solarium.
by CNB