VA Milwaukee Soldiers Home continues Long tradition of caring for veterans

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The Milwaukee Soldiers Home opened in 1867, one of the three original operations built in the country to care for veterans.

The historic district, on the grounds of the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, occupies more than 90 acres. As part of an Enhanced Use Lease agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, six of the district’s vacant buildings were restored to provide 101 housing units for veterans and their families who are or are at risk of becoming homeless.

The Alexander Co. and Ramlow/Stein served as architects and JP Cullen was the lead general contractor. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation managed the contributions received for the project, and the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance served as the fiscal agent for the fundraising campaign.

When work on the project began in 2010, the iconic Victorian Gothic “Old Main” building had been vacant for 20 years, and its roof was on the verge of collapse.

Nonetheless, Shannon Metoxen, Milwaukee division manager for JP Cullen, was confident.

“We’ve done similar renovation projects in Milwaukee,” he said. “So we felt good about it.”

Restoring 500 vintage windows was a daunting task. Metoxen said,

“When you’re working on a historic building you have to use like materials. The windows could not be simply replaced but had to be restored and repaired in kind.”

That entailed lead abatement after layers of paint were stripped. Carpenters fashioned frame components and the like on the spot.

Old Main offered several surprises. Metoxen said, “With any restoration project, it’s those things that you just can’t see. At times we did selective demolition just to understand what the building was really made of.” One discovery was etchings that had been carved into wood siding in the building’s tower, dated May 26, 1924, probably by a member of the legendary Wisconsin legendary 32nd Infantry Division. Metoxen said crews took care to ensure the etchings were preserved.
The opportunity to recognize the service and sacrifices of veterans was welcomed by all. “We as a company felt strongly about what this project meant,” Metoxen said. The JP Cullen Foundation gave $200,000 to Milwaukee Preservation Alliance.