By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
When asked about her Charlestown home in Catonsville, Md., the first thing Mary Jean Whittaker says is, “I love living here.”
And she’s loved it since March 1984. As one of Charlestown’s first residents, Whittaker has seen the evolution of the community and John Erickson’s enterprise, which now includes 20 communities and several organizations like the Erickson School of Aging at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NorthBay, an environmental center and camp on the Chesapeake Bay.
Timeless quality
Whittaker knew of Charlestown as St. Charles College—the seminary it used to be. When she first moved to the community, she lived in one of the original seminary buildings, now referred to as the “historic district.”
The historic district includes seven buildings and Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, which are all listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Our Lady of the Angels, which is modeled after Sacre Coeur in Paris, is “one of a kind,” Whittaker says. Each home in the historic district features unique architectural details, which makes it a popular place to live, according to Charlestown Retirement Counselor Steffany Byers.
“The original buildings and chapel make Charlestown special and unique. They have a timeless quality,” Whittaker says. “It’s wonderful that they’re on the National Registry of Historic Places, because they should be.”
Erickson innovations
Whittaker walks from her home to the historic district and around the community for 90 minutes every day. When she first moved to Charlestown, she walked outside, but now that climate-controlled walkways connect every building she says she can “walk for hours and never have to go outside.”
She has seen other Erickson innovations implemented as well—for example, the security latches on every front door, Erickson HealthSM, and the 100% refundable entrance deposit.
“It’s a wonderful place and we have a wonderful lifestyle here,” Whittaker says. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”