History Hounds: Chelsea Senior Center Seeks Early History  

Chelsea Senior Center celebrates 60 years this spring. The activity-driven organization has blossomed from its humble beginnings into a weekday haven for socializing, support, education, movement, services, the arts, volunteering and a whole lot of fun for more than 1,300 seniors in the area.  

Sixty years ago, seniors first started gathering at the Korner House to play euchre, celebrate birthdays, share potlucks and hold bake sales. Chelsea Senior Center is seeking information about the Korner House, its origins and any memorabilia from that first gathering spot. Over time, senior citizens gathered at various locations in Chelsea, including at a second location on Middle Street and in the Faith in Action building.

Chelsea Senior Center has benefitted from creative leadership and steadfast community partners over the years, which has resulted in today’s thriving destination at 512 Washington Street, a building owned by Chelsea School District. CSD is a longtime partner of Chelsea Senior Center, now intricately involved in multiple intergenerational programs. Other early known partners include Kiwanis, Chelsea Hospital, City of Chelsea and the Recreation Council.  

“Our longevity is truly due to the seniors in our community who inspire us to think outside the box and offer an array of programming that meets their needs, which are constantly evolving,” says Jennifer Smith, Executive Director, Chelsea Senior Center. “Together with community partners, we work hard to ensure our center is a safe, comfortable space for activities and resources that give seniors a reason to connect with others every day.”

If you know of any early history, have a box of memorabilia or are interested in helping the “History Hounds” piece together CSC’s history, please get in touch at connected@chelseaseniors.org with “History Hounds” in the subject line. In partnership with Silver Solutions, led by Maurine Nelson and Dave and Meg Gilbert, CSC is collecting and organizing historical information. Later this year, Chelsea Senior Center will unveil a history timeline. The planned reveal is at CSC’s First Annual Sock Hop on October 4.