Jefferson’s Ferry marks 25 years with resident celebrations in South Setauket

Jefferson’s Ferry used its 25th anniversary to highlight a bigger shift in senior living on Long Island: older adults and their families are looking for campuses that can support changing needs without forcing a move. Two resident-centered celebrations on June 2 and June 4 drew a combined 540 people, bringing together residents, family members, staff, board members and community partners in South Setauket.

The milestone also underscored why Jefferson’s Ferry has become a fixture in Suffolk County’s aging-in-place conversation. The community says it opened in 2001 as Long Island’s first not-for-profit Life Plan Community, built on 50 acres in the Town of Brookhaven. On one campus, it offers independent living, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation, long-term care and on-site clinical services, a model designed to let residents stay in place as care needs change.

That structure, and the amenities around it, have helped define Jefferson’s Ferry’s role over the past quarter-century. The George F. Rice Community Center includes a swimming pool, fitness center, theater, library, creative arts center, technology and educational classes, and meeting spaces for clubs and small gatherings. Bob Caulfield, the president and CEO, has framed the community as a place where older adults are living well, staying engaged and helping redefine what aging looks like on Long Island.

The anniversary celebrations also drew public officials, a reminder that senior housing now sits squarely inside Suffolk County’s civic and economic picture. County Executive Ed Romaine attended one celebration and presented a proclamation, while Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich attended the other and offered his own recognition. Jefferson’s Ferry’s visibility is not new, either: a Brookhaven Town release from 2023 noted a Jefferson’s Ferry event attended by both Romaine and Kornreich, with a proclamation presented to Greystone executive Brad Straub.

The timing of the anniversary matters as much as the celebration itself. Jefferson’s Ferry said it completed an $88.98 million expansion and renovation project on Dec. 30, 2025, signaling continued investment in a campus that is being marketed well beyond Suffolk County. In Newsweek’s 2026 rankings of continuing care retirement communities, which recognized 330 communities nationwide, Jefferson’s Ferry said it was ranked No. 1 in New York State and No. 28 nationally, placing it among roughly the top 1.5% of about 1,900 CCRCs nationwide.

A separate employee appreciation event is planned for September, with special recognition for staff members who have worked there for 25 years, a further sign that Jefferson’s Ferry sees its anniversary not just as a look back, but as evidence of how much senior living in Suffolk County has changed.