History

A rich history of advocacy

Givens Aldersgate has a rich history of advocacy. In 1943, a group of Methodists searched for property where retired Methodist ministers or their widows could live out their lives in peace, comfort, and contemplation. Take a trip through our history and the major milestones that made Aldersgate the community it is today.

Our Journey

1943: Visionary Beginnings

Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church appointed a committee to find a site for retired Methodist preachers or their widows.

1944: Cole Brothers Donate Land

Brothers Eugene M. Cole and Reverend Edwin O. Cole donate the 180-acre Hezekiah Alexander home to the endeavor.

1948: Breaking New Ground

Officially broke ground on what was then named The Methodist Home.

1953: Living Expansion

Two wings and three apartment buildings are added.

1957: Hello Cottages

The first Azalea View Cottages were built along Forest Knoll Drive.

1963: First Nursing Center Opens

The Wesley Nursing Center opened with 248 skilled nursing beds.

1969: Assistance Fund Established

The Supplementary Assistance Fund was started to help seniors who had outlived their money due to no fault of their own.

1975: History Preserved

The Mint Museum showcasing Charlotte’s Colonial times is built.

1980: First Asbury Care Center

Asbury Skilled nursing opens with 100 beds.

1990: Epworth Tower Rises

Epworth Tower, an eight-story building with 198 units, opens.

1993: A New Nursing Alliance

Wesley Nursing Center is leased to Presbyterian Healthcare System.

1999: Name Changed to Aldersgate

Our campus was renamed to honor Aldersgate Street in London where Methodist Church founder John Wesley experienced the “confirmation of his salvation by the grace of God.”

2000: 21st Century Expansion

Aldersgate announces an expansion plan that includes new apartments, cottages, memory care, assisted living facility and the Commons.

2002: Village Expansion

Cuthbertson Village Memory Support Assisted Living opens. Named for Board member Rennie Cuthbertson, the facility has three neighborhoods surrounding a central Town Square.

2003: Wesley Glen Opens

New Wesley Glen cottages mark our next phase of expansion to meet resident needs.

2010: In-Home Care Launched

Aldersgate starts “Aldersgate At Home,” an in-home care service for independent living residents.

2015: Growth Spurt

Aldersgate begins its most significant expansion with 62 apartments and villas, varied dining experiences, a state-of-the-art skilled nursing addition and a renovation/expansion of Cuthbertson Village memory support.

2016: First International Sandwich Festival

Music, food and cultural celebration open to the broader community.

2016: CARF Accreditation

Aldersgate receives CARF accreditation, demonstrating Aldersgate’s commitment to excellence, continuous improvement, and resident-centered services

2017: The Commons and New Asbury Health & Rehabilitation Opens

New Asbury Health & Rehabilitation opened, changing care from institutional to residential. The Commons opens with expanded culinary venues, pub, outdoor dining, billiards, and more.

2017: Aldersgate welcomed our BRIDGE to our campus

Aldersgate welcomed our BRIDGE to our campus, providing expanded space for programming and creating opportunities for meaningful interaction between residents and children from around the world.

2018: Aldersgate Turns 70

Aldersgate celebrates seven decades of honoring residents.

Aldersgate partnered with Fresenius Kidney Care to bring outpatient dialysis treatment directly onto the Aldersgate campus. The partnership provides residents and community members with end-stage renal disease to receive life-sustaining dialysis treatments without having to travel to an off-site dialysis center.

Levine Hospice House, an inpatient hospice center opened, serving both residents and the outside community.

2019: First Gateway Apartment Opens

Aldersgate opens Magnolia View, the first of three new apartment & villa buildings.

Cuthbertson Village introduces Opening Minds through Art (OMA), bringing an award-winning, evidence-based creative arts program to residents living with dementia and making Aldersgate the first retirement community in North Carolina to offer the program.

2020: And Justice for All

Aldersgate pledges to become an anti-racist ally.

2020: GenOne

Aldersgate provides on-campus workspace for the Charlotte-based not-for-profit to help first-generation students from underserved communities navigate the path to and through college.

2021: CCRC without Walls

Aldersgate becomes the first Life Plan Community in Charlotte, NC, to offer “CCRC without Walls” so future residents have the option to age-in-place while accessing Aldersgate’s services and amenities and benefitting from priority placement when the time is right.

2022: Refuge Support Services

The nonprofit dedicated to helping refugees, asylees, and other displaced individuals successfully integrate into the community relocates to the Aldersgate campus, sharing space with ourBRIDGE and creating a collaborative hub of services for immigrant and refugee families.

2024: Springhouse Square Groundbreaking

Aldersgate partners with Laurel Street to launch Springhouse Square, an innovative mixed-income, multi-generational housing community on the eastside of Charlotte. The development expands housing opportunities for older adults and families while supporting Aldersgate’s commitment to creating an inclusive and vibrant community.

2025: Givens Affiliation

Givens Communities, an Asheville-based nonprofit organization, and Aldersgate affiliate through a membership substitution, ensuring long-term stability and mission-driven growth for both organizations.