Partnering an apartment building with the on-site Barton Community Center made the Westerly the first of its kind in the United States.

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The Westerly Apartments are owned by Lakewood Senior Citizens, Inc., a 501c (3) not-for-profit organization that exists for the sole purpose of providing quality and affordable housing for senior adults.

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From the day it opened in 1963, the Westerly has shown how satisfying apartment living can be for older people.  The work of a concerned group of Lakewood Citizens has created all this happiness. DeArv G. Barton enlisted the enthusiasm of then Mayor Frank Celeste, architect, Wallace Teare, Mrs. Gilbert Nelson, Robert Carr, and others.  With the help of an attorney, Nick Mileti, the Westerly’s first Managing Director, the group secured loans from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the first building.  Additional loans were secured for additions in 1968 and 1974.  In recognition of Barton’s hard work and dedication in making his dream of providing attractive, safe, and secure housing for active older adults, the community senior center on the ground floor of the Westerly Buildings was named in his honor.

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The Barton Center is a place to make friends, learn, lead, volunteer and serve others.  Its physical facilities are on the ground floor of all three of the Westerly Buildings and are open to all residents.  They add enrichment, fun, and companionship to being a Westerly resident.

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Our campus is managed in strict accordance with the regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of HUD under the Section 202, Section 236 and Section 8 programs. As an Equal Housing Opportunity provider, all leasing activities are conducted within the framework of the Federal Fair Housing Act.