Last week (5/27/26), Harry Hammond gave a presentation in the Kendal auditorium, called “How we got to where we are: the evolution of community at Kendal”. It was a remarkable tour of some of the key events and decisions in Kendal’s history. You can watch a video of the event here.

Harry is the perfect person to make this presentation. He has spent far more time exploring the archives than anyone else, he served on the KCC Board for 10 years, and he and Melody have been Kendal residents since 2010. Not only that, but they got on the waiting list while they were still in their 30s (watch the video if you want to learn why).

About 50 people attended the event in person, plus a significant number on Zoom. It was sponsored by the Welcome Committee, but far more old-timers than new-comers showed up. That’s too bad, since the event provided useful background for all residents, but especially for new-comers.

Harry had written out his script, but often deviated from it to relate interesting anecdotes.

Key decisions. The heart of Harry’s presentation was his list of 13 “key decisions”, from the initial idea of Kendal up to about 2000. These are:

  1. Receipt of an initial grant of $300,000 from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. This was used to buy the land and hire the first Executive Director.
  2. Deciding not to cap the number of years directors and officers of the Board could serve. Many served over 20 years, and some over 30. This provided continuity and nurturing of Kendal’s Quaker heritage.
  3. Hiring of Lloyd Lewis as Executive Director. He emphasized “community building, accentuating the interdependence of all participants” (residents, staff, and board). Harry noted that, over the years, it has been at times when that interdependence was missing that Kendal struggled.
  4. Hiring of Martin Klaver to edit the Kendal Reporter. Klaver began putting out the newsletter before Kendal’s first residents had even arrived. It was “conversational, direct, warm simple, jargon-free, truthful, and full of facts.” Residents can read it in the Kendal Archives (available to residents only).
  5. The undertaking by the residents association of many projects that the Kendal administration did not take on itself. These projects included adding better auditorium lighting, purchasing additional trees, buying carpeting for the Farmhouse hallways, purchasing a portable sound system for the Health Center Activities Room, and much more.
  6. Establishing a Board of Directors culture like that of a Quaker meeting committee. Three directors took turns personally greeting every incoming resident in their cottage, bearing a single yellow rose in a beer bottle.
  7. Purchasing of the Crosslands property. Less than a year after Kendal opened, the board recognized the need for a second community, in light of the long waiting list. They set up a corporation to build and operate what became Crosslands.
  8. Opening of Coniston, then Cartmel. These were intended as “feeder communities”, providing an option for those on the growing waiting list—the board didn’t want Kendal and Crosslands themselves to grow too big. 
  9. Pursuing other opportunities to serve seniors. During the 1970s and 1980s, among other initiatives, Kendal helped other Kendal locations get started, played a key role in the setting up accreditation for CCRCs, and spread its “Untie the Elderly” program to the rest of PA, then nationally, and finally internationally.
  10. Creating, in 1984 or 1985, “Kendal Management Services”, a separate division that helped to run other Quaker senior-living facilities (such as Friends Hall and Friends Home Kennett). It also participated in a research consortium and managed services to seniors for other non-profits.
  11. Initiating the 1995 reorganization that resulted in “The Kendal Corporation” and “Kendal-Crosslands Communities”. This would make Kendal-Crosslands Communities (KCC) a member of the Kendal System. The Kendal System was a membership organization that would subsequently consist of all Kendal campuses:  KCC, the new Kendals that were in development at the time, those that were started later, and existing non-Kendal senior-living organizations that applied and were permitted to join the System.  The System was led by The Kendal Corporation, as a partner in the System, not as owner of any of the members, but as a service provider. During this period, Lewis tried, with mixed success, to create career paths within Kendal that would mean employees would remain with Kendal. 
  12. Hiring of John Diffey to succeed Lloyd Lewis in 1992. Diffey oversaw the completion of the reorganization.
  13.  Completing the reorganization by registering the two new entities with the state. The design of The Kendal Corporation was still taking place, a process that involved KCC and the other three new locations (Hanover, NH; Oberlin, OH; and Ithaca, NY).

Attendees reflect on key quotations. After Harry finished his prepared remarks, he asked his audience to read through a handout listing 37 “features of community at Kendal, as described by its boards, administrators, Residents Association (KRA), and the Kendal Reporter.” This was a 6-page list of historical quotes from documents throughout Kendal’s history up through 2020. Many of the quotes had to do with the responsibilities and relationship between the board, the administration, and residents. It is fascinating to read what previous generations thought about Kendal, compared with our situation today. You can read Harry’s collection of quotes here.

Various audience members spoke to particular items that they thought were worthy of mention. These historical quotes included the concept that the administration should make decisions “with rather than for” residents, that KCC should “support our mission, not meet market demand”, and that KCC should “bundle” all services, not charge extra for some items.

There was great interest in the 37 quotes, but the discussion had to be brought to a close because of time constraints.

I came in thinking I knew a lot about Kendal’s history, but by the time the event ended, I had learned a great deal more. The arbitrary cutoff of 2000 for “key decisions” meant that some really important events were not touched on—particularly the tumultuous departure of CEO Phil DeBaun and the decision to leave the Kendal Corporation. I hope that these and other more recent events can be covered in a subsequent presentation.