| Year(s) Listed: • 1996 • 1999 |
| City/Town: • Leavenworth |
| Location Class: • Hospital |
| Built: N/A | Abandoned: N/A |
| Historic Designation: • National Register of Historic Places April 30, 1999 |
| Status: • Abandoned • Endangered |
| Contributor: Kansas Preservation Alliance |
Photo by Vickie Bach
In 1884, Leavenworth was chosen as the site for a home for disabled veterans. James McGonigle was a local builder and a veteran who had been wounded in the Civil War and also designed the Riverfront Community Center in Leavenworth. At the home for disabled soldiers, McGonigle’s firm constructed 17 buildings on 650 acres of land. Included among them were 13 Georgian revival buildings; Franklin Hall, a Romanesque revival mess hall and kitchen; the Ward Memorial Building; and two residential buildings for hospital employees.
2000 Update:
The Historic Buildings on the Leavenworth Veterans Affairs Complex – Leavenworth – The Kansas Preservation Alliance, Inc., along with the Preservation Alliance of Leavenworth, the State Historical Society’s Cultural Resources Division and dozens of local activists have been involved in discussions for several months with VA on the renovation and reuse of these buildings. An RFP (request for proposal) will soon be issued by the VA to encourage interested developers to submit plans under a long-term lease arrangement. For more information: www.toto.net/leavenworthvalor
Update: The Leavenworth Veterans Affairs Complex has been selected for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of the 11 Most Endangered Places in America.
