Rachel Whitney, Curator, Sapulpa Historical Museum
Until the 1940s, along West Taft, there had been homes or empty lots south of town. By 1946, a business was housed on the corner of West Taft and Diane St; it was a blacksmith and welding shop, owned by Theo Meyer. A decade later, this location was the Sapulpa Well Service, owned by Wayne Harris, for oil well drillers.
In just ten more years, the lot would be used as a home for many residences for over fifty years.
This month in Sapulpa history, in 1969, the concept for a senior home on West Taft began. The lot was purchased for Pleasant Manor Nursing Home. By November, the construction began.
The first administrator for the new home was Audrey Saylors. For the next sixteen years, Saylors administered the operation at 310 W Taft Ave.
After Saylors, Patricia LeGrant and then Emma Brumley ran the organization. LeGrant was a part of Pleasant Manor history for a short time, however, Brumley came in 1988 through 2000. Similarly, Elizabeth Phatman, Bob Mitchell, and Elizabeth Chapman would be the next administrators; where Phatman and Mitchell were admin for a short while and Chapman stayed for a few years. After Chapman, Ila Seaton and Pamm Dickey were the last administrators of Pleasant Manor.
Likewise, alongside the administrators were medical directors. Dr. Phillip Joseph became the medical director in 1980 until 1991.
Pleasant Manor had many changes and additions over the years of its existence. Medi Plex and Pinnacle Rehab were added to the area near 2000.
One of major changes occurred this week in Sapulpa history.
Announced on August 9, 2009, “something different going on here.”
The saying, ‘it takes a village’ refers to the benefits of all generations to be involved in raising a child. It takes Arbor Village to provide an environment for the senior citizens.
“Pleasant Manor has seen its good days and its bad days, and now, its history as new leadership is in place and a new name (Arbor Village) to reflect an uncommon approach to elderly care.”
Scott Pilgrim and Beth Chapman began the new concept and wanted to turn things around at the home. “Some changes have already been made and major renovations of the old facility, inside and out, are planned in the future once the purchase is finalized. One of the most notable changes has been to bring focus on physical therapy by bringing it out of the back room and into the former dinning room.”
Exercise equipment were in place to help with strengthening the members. Another way to strengthen the members was to give them more focus on how they can help themselves. “Plans include a mock-kitchen to help patients re-learn taking care of themselves before returning home.”
“Pilgrim, manager of the Diakonos Group, a financial and consulting service, has a unique approach that doesn’t sound totally feasible when managing the care of those placed in the nursing home.”
“Pilgrim’s philosophy is that the employee is the guest in the residents’ home.”
Fifteen years later, today, Arbor Village continues to be a nursing and rehabilitation facility.
