John Knox Village is celebrating its 50th Anniversary beginning this month. A yearlong schedule of events is planned to celebrate this momentous anniversary. Look for interesting historical articles in The Village Voice throughout the coming 12 months. Here is a short history of JKV’s early years. In 1967, Dr. Mack R. Douglas, a Baptist minister in Margate, gathered a few friends and proposed to develop a retirement home for senior citizens. The plan that evolved called for the construction of a group of cottages, each containing three apartments, to be leased to a senior person or couple for the
balance of their lives. Originally named Baptist Village, the community opened with nine residences in 1967. Shortly after, some 72 garden villas were built, followed by 38 apartment homes in a building named East Lake.