At the heart of the Soldiers and Sailors Home is a three-story, brick building. Originally intended as a facility to care for Civil War veterans who needed ongoing care, construction on the site halted in 1885 when the project ran out of local funds. The state stepped in, and, on June 3, 1885, a bill was approved to pass an “act for the establishment and maintenance of a home for the disabled soldiers and sailors of Pennsylvania, who enlisted and participated in the war for preservation of the union.” The hospital opened its doors to veterans on February 22, 1886. Through today, soldiers from every war and conflict have lived at the Home.
Our tour includes the Chapel which features a stained glass portrait of Abraham Lincoln (one he was rumored to have actually posed for), and the veterans’ cemetery which was established in 1896.