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By Danielle Sherry

Groton Times Staff Writer

Groton – Before moving to Fellowship Manor, the independent retirement wing of Fairview, the Odd Fellows Home of Connecticut, Dorothy Worgul had only lived in one other home.

“And that was my husband’s and my home in Pennsylvania,” she said. “I lived there for over 40 years.”

But when Worgul’s husband died, she, like many seniors, wanted to live closer to her family.

“My son didn’t even know this place (Fairview) existed, even though he lives right over in East Lyme,” she said.

According to many staff members at Fairview, Worgul’s son is not alone.

“We’re one of the best kept secrets in the area,” David Brown, director of development, said. “When most people see the building from a distance they think one of three things: It’s a grand, private mansion, it’s a hospital, or a prison.”

It’s hard to believe that anyone would think the elegant stone building, perched on 70 acres along the bank of the Thames River, could possibly be mistaken for a prison.

The facility includes 20 independent apartments for retirees as well as a skilled nursing care wing that serves approximately 120 residents. And residents will soon have more living space as a new 16,000-square-foot addition nears completion.

“We are adding more spacious resident rooms, which will enable us to make some of our existing rooms private,” Brown said. “And we will also have a restaurant/bistro with a bluestone patio.”

The addition will also include a new rehabilitation room, nearly twice the size of the existing one.

“The plan is to not add to our population, but to simply spread out, and make the living spaces and common areas more comfortable,” Brown said.

On the first floor of the three-story addition the designers have included a beautiful courtyard that allows residents to enjoy the outside while staying warm and cozy in a new lounge.

“It’s all about making our residents feel at home,” Brown said.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows – which got its name in 17^th-century England, when it was considered “odd” for people to organize efforts to help others in a time of need – purchased the Fairview property along the Thames River in 1892. The group then set up a home to care for the widows and orphans of their members. Over time the home expanded to include members of the fellowship and seniors of all backgrounds.

The Fairview Odd Fellows home is the only non-profit nursing care facility in southeastern Connecticut.

“We serve the needs of all people,” Brown stressed, “from seniors who need constant care, to independent persons looking for a beautiful place to retire.”

A glance out of Worgul’s window confirms that statement.

“It’s pretty nice to wake up with that view every morning,” Worgul said, watching the autumn leaves falling into the Thames River. “It really is a lovely place to live.”

For more information about Fairview, the Odd Fellows Home of Connecticut, call (860) 445-7478.