Ground was broken for Westminster Terrace on May 18, 1963, and the seven-story building was completed for dedication on October 8, 1965. The top six floors were comprised of independent living apartments, while the ground floor featured dining facilities and rooms for skilled nursing care.

 Westminster Terrace’s first residents committed to an apartment without having been inside the building; they had only seen its exterior, standing in a sea of mud, when move-in day finally came. Elva Sargent, one of the original residents, recalled moving in with so many rolls of carpet still stored in the dining room that there was only space for two tables on one side of the room. She also said that Westminster Terrace was one of the showplaces for retirement living in Columbus because basic things like beds and dressers were furnished, and residents were free to bring whatever else they might need.