The Anderson Home of Chester  

Early in the Twentieth Century, an American physician, Dr. Andrew Anderson, and his wife, Elizabeth, established a summer home in Chester.  On a hillside overlooking the Back Harbour and the Western Bay, they built a vacation residence.  The builder was Nat Robinson and the house was erected in 1905.

In more recent years, their daughter, Mrs. Clarissa Gibbs, became the owner of the property and continued the family practice of summering in Chester.  Mrs. Gibbs pioneered the idea of a nursing home in the community and, in 1968, completed arrangements by which, following her death, the home would be used as such.

The Anderson Home of Chester was established formally on September 28, 1968.  The Memorandum of Agreement was executed by Charles E. Harris, Clarissa A. Gibbs, Joseph Stackhouse, Earl G. Webber, and E. K. Woodroofe with M. Allen Gibson signing as witness of the signatures.

Mrs. Gibbs personally subscribed the amount of $90,000 to provide income for the proposed home.

With the establishment in Chester of Shoreham Village, Mrs. Gibbs proposal appeared to become redundant.  Nevertheless, she and the Board of Directors carried on in the conviction that the Anderson Home concept still could be beneficial to the community.

Upon her death and in accordance with her instructions, the house reverted to Mrs. Gibbs estate because there appeared to be no practical way in which it could be developed as a nursing home.  The fund, however, had grown and it was expected that, one day, it could be used to further Mrs. Gibbs' wishes to make a permanent memorial of her parents which would worthily serve the cause of health care in the Chester Area.

In 1992, Shoreham Village requested consideration of a proposal to add to its facilities.  Specifically, space for occupational therapy, a training room, and a clinic were seen as desirable.  The clinic idea, it was remembered, had been advocated by Dr. Anderson some three quarters of a century ago.  The Anderson Home of Chester became a reality within the facilities of Shoreham Village.  The building was formally opened by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Honourable Lloyd R. Crouse, P. C., on May 29, 1993.

The Anderson Home of Chester provides space for two offices, a training and board room, an occupational and recreational therapy unit, two washrooms, a waiting room and clinic.  The clinic is designed to serve not only residents of Shoreham Village but also people of the community.