In the early sixties, Longhouse founder Dr. Dean H. King, needed to find a nursing facility for his father and discovered the closest facility was in Sioux City, Iowa. As a result, Dr. King began to plan and design a nursing home to serve the needs of the Spencer area.

Following a year in the planning phase, construction finally began in October of 1962. It was during a trip to Hawaii where Dr. King first learned of the native Hawaiian’s customary practice of constructing a central lodge in each village where community members could go for their medical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. It was known as the Longhouse.

July 22, 1963, Longhouse Residence opened its doors and began delivering quality long-term care services to the area residents. Dr. King was killed in an auto accident one month before the home opened and so his wife Jane King took over management until her death in April 1964. Nearly a year later in March 1965, eight local investors purchased the facility and were interested in seeing Longhouse continue to grow and serve the community.

At its inception, Longhouse Residence accommodated fifty residents. Then on August 8, 1966, a forty three-bed addition was opened bringing the total occupancy up to ninety-three beds.

In May of 1967, the parcel of land directly north of Longhouse was purchased for future growth and development. August 1, 1972, the ownership and management of Longhouse Residence changed hands, and Jim Manzer, became the new administrator. Four years later in 1976, a new facility designed to offer care for up to sixty more seniors, Northshire, joined the Longhouse organization.

Through the years we have changed and evolved to meet the needs of our community we serve, and today we are a one-hundred-ten-bed facility, offering intermediate and skilled nursing services to those in need.