Neighborhood
endangered species: Soldiers Home
The
Recreation Hall was conceived by the then Governor
Cornelius Wheeler in the spring of 1893. It was
built in 1894 at a cost of about $5,000. Funds
were raised mostly by members of the Veterans'
Social Club, Veteran Post GAR, Cushing Naval Association
and the General Post Fund. The white colonial
revival building now houses bowling lanes, pool
tables and an assembly hall.
---Source: Historic Milwaukee VA
---Photo courtesy of Patricia Lynch
The headquarters building was built in 1895-96 and
served as the administrative offices for the Soldiers'
Home Staff, except for the medical staff. It also
housed the main office for the VA Center, the Domiciliary
Staff and the post office for Wood, Wisconsin. Back
to top.
The
Queen Anne style chapel, opened in 1889, cost about
$9,000 to build. It was one of the first nondenominational
chapels built by the federal government. It closed
in 1996. Back
to top
OK,
it looks like something the Addams Family would
live in. But it's really "Old Main," one
of the now-endangered historic buildings on the
VA grounds. This building, designed by prominent
Milwaukee architect Edward Townsend Mix, was completed
in 1869. It was indeed the main building -- at one
time, nearly 1,000 men lived in it, and all the
administrative offices were here as well.. The original
cost of the building was $211,000, big bucks in
those days. -- May 9
Source
-- Historic Milwaukee VA
Back
to top
Fight
continues to save Soldiers Home
May
2, 2004 -- The fight
to save historic buildings on "Soldiers Home"
grounds has captured the imagination of preservationists
throughout the city.
"Today
we have a chance to heal some of the wounds from
the Vietnam Era and bring ourselves and our children
into touch with a place that brings forth deep feelings,"
e-mail activist Jim Godsil wrote in one of his many
missives on the topic. "Witnessing the tragic
history manifest in the 37,000 graves and the grace
of the buildings that were constructed to care for
the soldiers who fought in the war that ended slavery
in the United States should be a birthright of Wisconsin's
children.
"Soldiers
Home" is better known to its Story Hill neighbors
as the V.A.
"We
want to recognize the men and women (who served)
and honor them," said Patricia Lynch, spokeswoman
for the Soldiers Home Foundation Inc.
Godsil,
through his vast network of contacts, sparked the
previously quiet campaign into higher gear this
spring.
Since
then, Journal Sentinel reporter Whitney
Gould has done a piece on the battle,
and other writers are picking up on the story.
One
of the main targets for preservation is the Soldiers
Home Chapel, one of the first non-denominational
chapels in the country.
Soldiers Home Chapel
A closer look shows some of the work
needed to restore it
The
federal government's efforts to find new uses for
the building have thus far failed, according to
a 2003 General Accounting Office report.
"Officials
at the Milwaukee medical center told us that they
have had discussions with other organizations concerning
use of six vacant buildings," the report said.
"They have tried to generate interest in the
buildings as elderly housing, as office space, and
as a youth home. These officials suggested that
two of the vacant buildings, a theater and a chapel,
could, when renovated, be used for these purposes
if interested parties could be found. They told
us they have held discussions with other government
agencies, school organizations, a labor union, and
charitable organizations without success."
The
Soldiers Home Foundation lists these ways you can
help:
Write
to your local elected officials, including President
Bush:
President
George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
or
email
George
W. Bush
Write
to Laura Bush, advocate of historic preservation.
First
Lady Laura Bush
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Support
H.R. 1762, Veterans National Heritage Preservation
Act of 2003. Call or write your representative to
encourage sponsorship, support and passage of this
Bill.
Coming
up: Soldiers Home Foundation Sewing Circle.
1p.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday May 16, Building 1 at the
Historic Soldiers Home at Milwaukee VA, 5000 W.
National Ave. (*Building 1 (Headquarters) is adjacent
to Old Main. Please be aware that our historic buildings
may have uneven sidewalks and other features in
need of repair. Please use care. New volunteers/participants
are
requested to fi ll out an event volunteer form.
