Mission

About Kendal at Lexington


Kendal at Lexington is a CARF-accredited, not-for-profit Life Plan Retirement Community located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. The 84-acre campus sits just one mile from Main Street in beautiful Lexington, Virginia, and features a farmland setting with panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Known for its celebration of lifelong learning, engaged residents, and Quaker values, the Kendal at Lexington community offers high-quality independent living.

Navigating Change: As you turn the pages of Kendal’s 2020 Annual Report, you will see that Kendal continues to evolve, grow and innovate while remaining grounded in the Quaker principles that guide our work.

Resident couple on their deck overlooking rolling green hills and a Blue Ridge Mountain peak

Since it opened its doors to residents in July 2000, Kendal at Lexington has become the preeminent lifecare community in this area of the Shenandoah Valley.

Residents currently range in age from their 60s to 100. The average age of move-in is 75, while the average age across the community is 82. About half come from outside the area, including from other parts of the commonwealth and throughout the country.

As part of the Kendal system, we believe that a spirit of inclusion and culture of diversity enrich and strengthen our community, people and services.

Photo looking across green hills toward Kendal at Lexington's campus
Couple drinking coffee at a table in their cottage
Female resident with a watering can in her back yard garden
Two couples looking at a bush in their backyard
A woman playing fetch with dog on a cottage lawn

Respect, Care and Trust

Values and Practices


The Kendal idea was initially made possible by a generous grant from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Committee on Aging in the early 1970s. Since then, Kendal has worked to transform our culture’s view of aging and of older persons, stressing the potential for fulfillment and continuing contribution during the later stages of life.

While remaining firmly grounded in the Quaker values that animate our activities, Kendal continues to move forward. Together with colleagues and caring people from many walks of life, Kendal not-for-profit communities, programs, and services work to develop new practices and models to better serve older adults.

The deep roots that sustain Kendal are found in Kendal Values and Practices. They help ensure that Kendal’s residents and staff share the spirit of community and collaboration and the respect for each individual that flow from the principles of the Religious Society of Friends.

Kendal entrance sign with yellow and blue flowers in the foreground

Kendal’s Commitment


  • Respect for the individual
  • Excellence in service
  • Social responsibility
  • Fiscal integrity
  • A spirit of inclusion and a culture of diversity that enriches and strengthens our communities, people and services.