Spruce House
Already becoming known as a model for accessible apartment-style housing, Spruce House began welcoming residents from the Visions wait list in August 2024. Supporters, incoming residents, and their families gathered for a celebratory Ribbon Cutting on June 26th. View that day’s presentations and Ribbon Cutting here: Spruce House Ribbon Cutting
Spruce House residents gathered in the summer of 2024 to see the building and share their excitement about their new homes!
Spruce House is a fully accessible, energy efficient apartment building, built and designed to provide permanent, affordable, supported housing for 12 adults with physical and developmental disabilities.
An elevator offers wheelchair access to single and shared apartments, and a large kitchen & dining room provides space for family-style dinners and for residents to gather. There is also designated space for staff offices and overnight staffing.
Background & History
Longtime Hanover residents and Dartmouth alumni remember this property on the corner of South Park Street and Valley Road as home to the Blue Spruce Inn, a boarding residence which often hosted visitors attending Dartmouth College events, and later as the home and office of Dr. Hugh MacNamee, a respected child psychiatrist, and his wife Mimi and family.
In April 1997, it became Outreach House, a nonprofit offering supported housing for seniors, thanks to the efforts of Ann James, Reverend Donald MacKenzie, and several other members of the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College.
When Outreach House ceased operations in 2019, their Board of Directors generously donated the property to Visions for Creative Housing Solutions to help meet the growing need for supported housing for people with developmental disabilities in the Upper Valley. After a thorough assessment, Visions decided to take down the existing structure to build a brand new, fully accessible and energy efficient building to house 12 adults from our waiting list. Learn more here!
The property’s proximity to downtown Hanover, public transportation, Main Street shops, Dartmouth College, churches, the Library, and the Co-op is ideal. This location continues encouraging Visions strong relationships with volunteers from the Tuck School of Business and Geisel School of Medicine, and the many Hanover employers where residents work. Residents who don’t currently have jobs look forward to contributing to the workforce as they settle in.
Spruce House residents gather for a meal in the dining room of their brand-new apartment building.
Residents can choose to join fellow Spruce House residents for meals or prepare their own meals in their apartments.