A Vision for Community
In 1960, Richard Crabtree, through much prayer, brought a group of ministers together who shared a vision for a Christ-centered community for aging adults. The first gift, $100 from Lena Hanselman of the women’s group of White Oak Christian Church, was given on June 24, 1960. In September 1960 a temporary constitution was adopted, and the Christian Benevolent Association was formed.
Many blessings were to follow. Just a few months later, in January of 1961, Standard Publishing gifted the Mohorter property at 8097 Hamilton Avenue, which would become the home of the Christian Village at Mt. Healthy. At the time, the property was valued at $100,000. Construction began in August 1964, and the building was completed on March 26th, 1966. After years of prayer, planning, generosity, and hard work, the first resident, Henrietta Ritzi, moved in on April 11, 1966. What a wonderful day that was!
The original building, which cost $1.3 million (or $14.2 million in 2026) comprised over 85,000 square feet between 5 floors, allowing for capacity of up to 148 residents. However, by August of 1966, the community had already reached its capacity, and by 1970, the waiting list grew to over 100. Therefore, in 1976, construction began on a new wing, which would nearly double the capacity of the home. The new wing was opened in July of 1977, and the community envisioned by Richard Crabtree back in 1960 has only continued to grow ever since!
Our Community Today
Sixty years later, that same spirit of faith and service continues. We are so proud to have grown into one of the premiere senior living communities in the Cincinnati area. Today, we are proud to be a life plan community – meaning we support our residents at all stages of life. Our campus provides 5-star CMS-rated care, from rehabilitation and physical therapy services to memory care, hospice, and special care, all focused on meeting our residents where they need us to be. On a technical level, that 5-star rating means “Much above average,” but for us, it’s more than that. Our Service From the Heart philosophy means that care is a personal partnership between us and our residents: it’s proactive, not reactive.
More than just care, we are also proud of the community we’ve created. The Christian Village at Mt. Healthy was always intended to be a home, not an institution, and to that end, we are proud to support all aspects of our residents’ well-being; socially, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Whether that be through weekly outings all over the Cincinnati area, social clubs and activities, beautiful park-like grounds to spend time outside in, or our full time chaplains and weekly services, our mission is to support all aspects of our residents’ health and wellness.
CVMH is more than a place to live. It is a community where relationships are built, families gather, and residents are cared for and valued. Seeing residents enjoying their time with us makes that purpose even more clear.
As we look back on sixty years, we are grateful for everyone who has been part of this journey. From those who had the vision in the early days to the team members who serve residents today, each person has played a vital part in shaping our Christ-centered community.
Most of all, we are thankful for the opportunity to continue a ministry that began with prayer and a willingness to serve others. For sixty years, The Christian Village at Mt. Healthy has been a community where lives are shared, faith is lived out, and residents are welcomed with open arms.
Here’s to sixty years of memories and faithful service. We pray for God to bless many years to come!
Celebrate With Us!
To celebrate this incredible milestone, we would like to invite our incredible community to celebrate with us at our annual Fall Fest this October 22nd! We’ll have fall carnival games, activities, and prizes, as well as a retrospective of the past six incredible decades. We truly cannot wait to see you there!
