History

Celebrating 135 Years

Henry J. SteereFounded in 1874 by several clergy and individuals responding to the need for the “formation of a society to provide a home for aged men, similar to the one founded in 1865 for aged woman", Steere House was originally called "The Home for Aged Men.” At the January 1875 session of the Rhode Island General Assembly, a charter of incorporation was received for the Home. The primary benefactors were Lucy Bucklin and Henry J. Steere, who subsequently served as the corporation’s first president.

Originally located on Point Street in Providence, the size of the Home made it difficult to meet the growing demand for accommodations.  In 1882, the Home was moved to a second residence bought, repaired and furnished by Henry Steere at the corner of Chestnut and Clifford Streets. Dreaming of expanding the Home to meet the growing needs of the community, Steere left a gift in his will upon his death in 1889 to fund the purchase of a lot on Broad Street to build a permanent home. The spacious and well appointed brick colonial opened in 1895, and was The Home for Aged Men for almost a century. In 1908, the Home expanded its mission to include the admittance of couples and ultimately single women as residents.

Over the years, changes have occurred gradually in order to provide for the changing and varied needs of the residents. In response to those changes, a new facility opened on the campus of Rhode Island Hospital in January of 1991 financed through its Series 1990 Bonds and the facility was renamed Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The name change intended to reflect the various types of care now offered as well as honor the most important benefactor in the Home's history.  The current three story facility is a 120 bed, freestanding skilled nursing facility, offering two Medicare/Medicaid certified, secure living environments for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias, as well as short-term skilled rehabilitation services. The campus is a state of the art facility with city gardens and patios, and discrete living environments to meet the different needs of our residents.

For 135 years, Steere House has been assuring the best quality of life for each short term and long term resident in our care. This is a commitment made to each resident by our staff and our Board of Directors.