COLORADO STATE VETERANS HOME AT HOMELAKE
Master Planning
A well kept secret in the San Luis Valley is a veteran’s home and community with historic buildings, cemetery and grounds dating back to 1891. A master planning and accessibility assignment to document, preserve and update the aged facility and structures for future use. This was followed by a project to expand cemetery capacity while preserving the historic circular cemetery.
“The home was established by an act of the Colorado State Legislature in 1889 at the behest of the Grand Army of the Republic to provide a home for the aging and disabled veterans of the Civil War. The first resident was admitted in November, 1891. Shortly thereafter a cemetery was established at the Home and between 1898 – 1905 the barracks, commander’s residence, administration building, and chapel were added to the community. More than 4,000 veterans have lived at the facility — starting with those from the Civil War and continuing to those from current conflicts.”
-Excerpt from the San Luis Valley Museum Association