Saint Francis Residential Community was a historic senior living facility located in Denville, New Jersey. The community was established 127 years ago by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother as a health resort. The facility operated 58 rooms and 65 independent-living apartments for seniors, offering additional services such as meals, housekeeping, and medication assistance. Over the years, the buildings and infrastructure of Saint Francis aged, making it increasingly challenging to fund maintenance and renovations for financial sustainability.
In 2021, it was announced that Saint Francis Residential Community would be closing, and ownership of the property and historic campus buildings would be transferred to Springpoint, a Wall Township-based nonprofit operator of senior living communities. The decision was made to demolish the aging buildings and construct a new 110-bed senior health facility on the 17-acre property. This new facility would provide assisted living, memory care, and other long-term care services for seniors from The Oaks at Denville and the surrounding community.
Despite efforts by the township officials to preserve the facility, the demolition of Saint Francis Residential Community was inevitable. The mayor and community officials expressed deep sorrow over the loss of this historic place that held sentimental value for many residents and their families. Plans for the new health care center on the Saint Francis property included retaining the excess land for future use consistent with current zoning regulations, which permitted office buildings, hospitals, nursing homes, and senior citizen facilities.
Springpoint, the operator tasked with leading the vision planning process for the new facility, anticipated beginning demolition in the fall and groundbreaking for the new building in 2024. While Saint Francis Residential Community was not listed on any state or federal historic registers, the township acknowledged that legally they could not prevent the demolition of the structures. The closure of Saint Francis marked the end of an era for the community, with historical items being donated to the Denville Historical Society and the Archdiocese of Newark.