MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee site whose history dates back to President Abraham Lincoln is in danger.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated the Milwaukee Soldiers Home Historic District as one of the 11 most endangered historic places in 2011.
The 90-plus acre district is on the Clement Zablocki Medical Center grounds in Milwaukee. It was started as a recovery place for injured veterans, and was established in 1865.
Snow caused part of the roof on the main building to collapse this winter, leaving a gaping hole.
“The Soldiers Home stands proud today battered and neglected, endangered but intact, the most visible symbol in America of our deep historic commitment to honoring the personal sacrifices of those who have risked their lives to protect country,” said Jim Draeger of the Wisconsin Historical Society.
The establishment of a system of National Soldiers Homes, including Milwaukee, was one of the last pieces of legislation signed by Lincoln before his assassination.
It is the most intact Soldiers Home that remains standing and is the only one with the majority of its buildings remaining.
For more information on Milwaukee’s Soldiers Home district, click here.
“These buildings have served veterans since the Civil War. They are a rich part of Wisconsin’s history, and I will keep fighting to see that they remain part of Wisconsin’s legacy,” U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore said in a news release.
The National Trust uses the endangered list to raise awareness of the serious threats to historic sites.
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