Milwaukee Soldiers Home (Old Main)

1 of 3 soldiers homes which have survived in the United States

Milwaukee Soldiers Home

Native name
Old Main (English)

The Milwaukee Soldiers Home

Location| West Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nearest city| Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Coordinates| 43°01′35″N 87°58′35″W﻿ / ﻿43.0265°N 87.97638°W﻿ / 43.0265; -87.97638
Founded| 1867[1]
Built for| United States Veterans
Original use| Recuperation of Civil War soldiers
Restored| 2020
Restored by| Alexander Company
Architectural style(s)| Victorian
Governing body| U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Owner| Government

U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property

Milwaukee Soldiers Home is one of three soldiers homes which have survived in the United States. It was built for the rehabilitation of Civil War soldiers. The building is recognized as a National Historic Landmark District property.[2] There are a total of 24 other buildings on the grounds which are also part of the Northwestern Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Historic District.[3]

## History

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The building was completed in 1867 and it went by several names, including National Asylum for Disabled Soldiers and National Home for Disabled Soldiers.[1] The building was unoccupied starting in 1989,[3] and had fallen into disrepair and was scheduled to be demolished. A 2011 campaign successfully got the building designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 2019 a company was hired to update the building.[4] The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) worked to help finance the restoration.[5]

## See also

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* Northwestern Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Historic District
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* National Historic Landmarks in Wisconsin

## Further reading

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* Milwaukee’s Soldiers Home Patricia A. Lynch[1]

## References

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1. ^ a b c Lynch, Patricia A. (2013). Milwaukee's Soldiers Home. South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-9873-4. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
2. ^ "Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home". savingplaces.org. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
3. ^ a b Ryan, Sean (15 March 2017). "A look inside the historic Milwaukee Soldiers Home: Slideshow". American City Business Journals. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
4. ^ Rogan, Adam (22 April 2019). "The Soldier's Home at the Milwaukee VA Center is Getting a New Life". Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
5. ^ Matz, Lee (24 October 2018). "Inside Old Main: A Special VR Walkthrough as the Soldier's home Prepares for Revitalization". Milwaukee Independent. Retrieved 27 January 2020.

## External links

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* Historic Designation
* Official Website