Since its inception, Barb City Manor has had a reputation for serving elder DeKalb residents while maintaining the facility’s rich tradition of helping those in need.

The building, 680 Haish Blvd., originally was built in 1921 to house the DeKalb Public Hospital.

“Since the city of DeKalb was first founded [in the 1880s], there were doctors for years, but no hospital,” Victorian architecture researcher Stephen Bigolin said. “For a long time, the city was in need of a modern functioning hospital.”

Bigolin said two hospitals were opened as a result of the city’s need, with St. Mary’s Hospital opening Oct. 12, 1922, and the DeKalb Public Hospital one day later. Many years later, Jacob Haish expressed a need for a third hospital, and the Jacob Haish Memorial Hospital wing was opened in 1961.

Bigolin said when Haish died, his will originally stipulated a hospital be built in his name. Haish left all of his estate to charity and as a result, his executors were forced to have his will reinterpreted by a judge to change its intention. Instead, a wing on the existing DeKalb Public Hospital was built.

“Haish left the bulk of his estate to his own hospital,” Bigolin said.

Bigolin went on to say an additional stipulation of the will was that if Haish’s money went toward any additions to the hospital, Haish’s name would have to be included with whatever was built.

From 1975 to ’77, Barb City Manor remained closed after the building was determined unsuitable to continue housing a hospital. Then in ’77, the building went up for sale.

“The only offer for the building was for $1,” said Maureen Gerrity, assistant administrator for Barb City Manor. Also in ’77, a community survey determined there was community support for a retirement home in DeKalb. The city then authorized building renovations under the guidance of the nine-member, volunteer DeKalb Housing Commission.

Barb City Manor opened its doors Feb. 1, 1979, as a retirement home for elderly persons of moderate-to-low income, Gerrity said. The facility housed 44 units for independent living.

The retirement home offers a chance for seniors to live independently. Residents are provided with three meals a day, including maid service.

The retirement home always is looking for volunteers to help out and is a not-for-profit organization.

Gerrity said Barb City Manor is about to finish a proposed five-year renovation, which would be completed a year ahead of schedule. The renovations made were of the whole ground floor and the hallways, and lounge rooms on the residence floors.