National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers National Historic Landmark Study

Northwestern Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, main building (1867). Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2006.

NPS Photo

Established by Congress in 1865 and developed as a network of eleven branches across the country, the National Home for Disabled Volunteers Soldiers (NHDVS) established a policy of veterans' benefits that directly influenced the development of a national system for veteran's health care in the United States. The NHDVS was a notable departure from the previous focus on care for professional soldiers and officially set forth the concern and commitment of the federal government for the well-being of the civilian soldier. The architecture and the landscape architecture of the NHDVS branches reflect development of the institution, and the goal of providing residences and care to war veterans. The highly visible NHDVS branches reminded citizens of the federal government's support of veterans and helped forge a link between the public and the government. In 1930, the NHDVS was absorbed into the newly created Veterans Administration. With the transition, the practice of establishing and developing individual branches with unique architecture and landscapes ended as these past policies gave way to standardization. This special study documents the national significance of the NHDVS from 1865 to 1930, and evaluates the National Historic Landmark eligibility of the eleven branches for that period. As of 2019, five of the eleven recommended properties are designated National Historic Landmarks.

National Home for Disabled for Disable Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS) Study, 2009.
Available for download (accessible PDF 2.8 MB).

As of 2019, five NHDVS branches have been designated as National Historic Landmarks.

• Battle Mountain Sanitarium, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Hot Springs, South Dakota (designated June 17, 2011)
• Central Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers/Dayton Veterans Administration Home, Dayton, Ohio (designated October 16, 2012)
• Mountain Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Johnson City, Tennessee (designated June 17, 2011)
• Northwestern Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (designated June 17, 2011)
• Western Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Leavenworth, Kansas (designated June 17, 2011)