History of SRC
History of the Names and Locations of SRC
The Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, Inc. (SRC) began in October 1972 as the Douglas County Planning Council on Services for the Aging, Inc. This soon became commonly known as the Council on Aging, or COA. In 1979, the COA began the process of changing its name to Douglas County Senior Services, Inc. (DCSS) because the new name would be more descriptive of the work that was done at the Senior Center. However, the name was not legally changed until 1988. In 2016, the organization reinvented itself once again, becoming the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, Inc.
Although early meetings were held in a room at the United Methodist Church at 946 Vermont, agency operations began in a single rented room above Robert’s Jewelry Store at 833 Massachusetts Street. The next home was one small room in the basement of the Community Building at 11th & Vermont.
The agency moved to its present location at 745 Vermont in the spring of 1979. The former building was originally composed of red brick and buff limestone and was called the Market House. It served briefly as an actual marketplace. By 1870 it was purchased by the City of Lawrence and converted into offices for City Hall. The rear of the building continued as a meat market and weigh station. It soon became the operation house of the Head Center Hose Company, the city’s first official fire department.
The Market House was one of downtown Lawrence’s most attractive buildings until 1949 when it was razed to make room for a new fire station. The building now at 745 Vermont was built in 1950 to house Fire Station #1, the Police Station, courtrooms, and a jail. In 1979, the City built a new Law Enforcement Building near the Courthouse, and the building on Vermont was designated as the home of the Lawrence Senior Center. The city allocated $278,000.00 for the renovation.
2017 started with a big change as Douglas County Senior Services became the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County to more accurately reflect the mission. Then the newly named SRC moved out to allow 745 Vermont Street to go through a significant building renovation in co-occurrence with Fire Station #1. The City of Lawrence and Douglas County joined forces to fund this multi-million-dollar project—a far cry from the renovation that had occurred 38 years prior.
After a nearly 3-year relocation to Peaslee Technical Training Center, SRC returned to 745 Vermont to an updated, improved, accessible, beautiful Center. SRC continues to provide a wide array of services, programs, education, recreation, engagement, referrals and support to help Douglas County seniors live their best possible quality of life.