Background
Henderson (who grew up in Millville) and was an economic advisor in the Roosevelt Administration.
Henderson (who grew up in Millville) and was an economic advisor in the Roosevelt Administration.
She was a deputy director of the Cumberland County Welfare Board in New Jersey. Morrison was the deputy director of the Cumberland County Welfare Board in 1932. At this time she came up with a concept for a "colony for senior citizens." She initiated a series of contacts to transform the concept into a policy and then into a project and reality.
Morrison first conveyed the idea to New Jersey Governor Arthur Harry Moore who in turn passed the concept to Leon Henderson.
Thence the project was added to the Works Progress Administration as the first senior housing project in the United States. The World Pet Association spent $30,000 to build the 14 houses, and then turned them over to the town of Millville, which had donated land for the venture.
Millville agreed to keep the houses in good repair and served as the landlord. The retirement colony was built on land which had been repossessed by the town of Millville for back taxes, and became known as the "Roosevelt Colony".
lieutenant was later renamed to the "" old age colony, and was sometimes referred to as the Colony for the Aged at and Colony for Aged.
When it opened on October 23, 1936, it became the first senior citizens retirement colony in the United States. The colony consisted of 14 houses, each named after a flower, on lots 100 feet wide by 200 feet deep. The houses were in a large square which had graded streets and sidewalks.
There was a central community house for social activities within the project square with a resident colonist as a manager and caretaker.
The community house had a fireplace, an assembly room, and game rooms. Each of the 14 white cottage style houses at consisted of a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom.
There were seven houses for married people that rented for $7 per month. There were also seven houses designed for single people which were a little smaller and rented for $5 per month.
Rent included water and electricity.
The houses were designed with the elderly in mind so that housekeeping chores would be minimized, and each came with a vegetable or flower garden. Residents received $15 monthly from the state under the Old Age Assistance Acting that had established the "old-age assistance" program in 1932. Houses in
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