Templeton Farm celebrates 40th anniversary

KENT — In 1976, affordable housing for seniors was introduced to Kent in the form of Templeton Farm, a 24-unit housing facility for the town’s seniors in need. 

At the time, local support for the new housing was far from unanimous — the vote to permit it was 97 to 90. 

Forty years later, however, Templeton Farm will celebrate its milestone anniversary as an established part of central Kent. 

The celebration will be held on Sunday,  Sept. 18, from 1 p.m. include an open house with apartment tours, presentations in the Kent Senior Center (part of the red barn at Templeton Farm) and light refreshments. All are welcome.

Kent Village Housing for the Elderly (KVHE), the nonprofit organization that operates Templeton, recently gained a new board president, Tegan Baker, who spoke to The Lakeville Journal about Templeton’s past and future.

Templeton has been unique since the beginning, she said, because it offers affordable housing for low- to-moderate income seniors — many of whom, she added, were already Kent residents before moving into Templeton Farm’s apartments. In other cases, senior residents have moved to Kent to be closer to family.

The 24 housing units are spread among three buildings. A fourth building — a large red barn also owned by KVHE — houses the Templeton Farm office, a common room, the Kent Senior Center and a Masonic lodge.

Today, Templeton Farm has three part-time staff members: Administrator Brenda Crossley, Resident Services Coordinator Renee Shappy and Superintendent Jeff Anderson.

A Resident Council is led by Ruth Woodard.

Baker joined KVHE in April of this year. During the interview, she introduced herself to a resident out for midmorning air.

“I have some large shoes to fill,” Baker said about her new role. She follows in the footsteps of Catherine (Posselt) Bachrach, who occupied the position for around 15 years, according to Baker.

Baker grew up in Kent, attended Kent Center School and South Kent School (when it was co-ed) and went to Wells College in central New York. 

Before returning to Kent within the past two years, she lived in Houston, Texas, for more than two decades. There she served as a certified legal assistant.

She explained how such a background has made her “extremely detail-oriented” and organized.

Baker admitted to being “nervously excited” about her new role. “It’s like your whole life has prepared you for something,” she said. “I’m prepared for this.”

In 2016, Templeton Farm finished updating the last two of the 24 kitchens. Baker said that in the near future she plans to replace two rooftops and create new handicapped-accessible bathrooms for all the apartments.

Grant money awarded from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2015 is being saved for such capital projects. Other local sponsors have included Kent Presents, Union Savings Bank Foundation and more.