Havenside to dedicate buildings at Summer Soiree

Havenside, a nonprofit independent-living apartment complex for elders on Martha's Vineyard, will host its annual "Summer Soiree" for residents on Thursday, Aug. 9, 3-5 p.m., during which two buildings will be formally dedicated and named in honor of two individuals for their contributions to bringing the vision for affordable, independent living for elders on the island to fruition.

The "A" building will be named in honor and memory of Havenside's founder, Margaret Love, whose bequest and vision made the four-building complex a reality.  Love and her brother, Robert, built Havenside and operated it in the 1960s under the auspices of their family's foundation, the Romarlo Foundation, until it was endowed and given to the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in 1973.  In 1991, the diocese created a separate entity for Havenside's administration, governed by a local board of directors employing a property manager.  Love's philanthropic words have helped more than 200 families at Havenside live affordably on the island.

The "B" building will be named in honor of one of the corporation's past presidents, the Rev. Robert Hammett of Oak Bluffs, who is credited with having brough the complex through several crises in its early years and established a sound foundation for its current operations.  He officially retired from the Havenside board in June, having served since 1996.

The Rev. Robert Hensley, Rector of Grace Church in Vineyard Haven, serves as president of Havenside's Board of Directors.