Unknown
[identification of item], National Military Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Central Branch Photo Book, SPEC.RARE.MMS.0350, Rare Books & Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
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Processed by: Beth Crowner, 2019 March; Finding aid written by: Beth Crowner, 2019 March
The National Military Home Central Branch was one of three original soliders' homes opened by the United States government to care for soldiers after the Civil War. It was founded in 1867, three miles west of Dayton, Ohio. Originally called the National Asylum for Disabled Soldiers, the name was changed to the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in 1873, known locally as the National Military Home, and soldiers residing at the home were referred to as members instead of inmates.
Soldiers' homes became major tourist attractions in the late 1800s for people who wished to visit or entertain the retired soldiers that lived there. The Central Branch had alligator ponds, fountains, gardens, and an electric waterfall to amuse the soldiers and their guests, as well as a hotel for visitors to stay in. Due to frequent additions, expansions, and several fires during the 19th century, many of the Central Branch’s original buildings were modified or demolished, and can only be seen in photographs or sketches.
The National Military Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Central Branch Photo Book was produced circa 1910-1922, by Chas. R. Shaw through the Home’s Newsstand, and published by The Albertype Company of Brooklyn, New York. The book was used as promotional material for the public. It contains a brief summary of the facilities and amenities available to the soldiers living there, as well as 18 pages of black and white photographs of the various buildings, hospitals, and gardens located on the Home’s grounds in Dayton, Ohio. Notable buildings pictured within the book include the Quartermaster General Depot, which burned down in 1932, the home’s chapel, which was the first church built by the United States government, and the home’s main hospital, which caught fire in 1942. The book also shows a photo of the original tuberculosis hospital, which was later expanded and eventually replaced by Thomas Hospital in 1922. Included with the book is an envelope with the Home's name printed on it.