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An old soldiers' home is a veteran's hospital or an institution devoted to the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors and marines, etc.
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United States
The first national old soldiers' home in the U.S. was established in Washington, D.C. in 1851 using funds provided by Mexico City in return for the U.S. Army not sacking the city during the Mexican-American War. Old Soldier's Home (Washington), now known as the Armed Forces Retirement Home, was the site of President Lincoln's summer home during the Civil War and is adjacent to National Cemetery, the first federal military cemetery in the U.S. President Lincoln's Home has recently been designated a National Monument. It is currently undergoing rennovation and will be open to the public soon. The Home has remained in continuous use since its establishment in 1851. It is funded through a small monthly contribution from the pay of members of the U.S. Armed Services. It is located on a beautiful 250 acre wood campus overlooking the U.S. Capitol in the heart of D.C. and continues to serve as a retirement home for U.S. enlisted men and women.
Within the United States, most old soldiers' homes were established following the Civil War, sometimes with state funding, otherwise with federal monies. The old soldiers' home system was eventually replaced with the Veterans Administration which later became the Department of Veterans Affairs. Confederate soldiers were supported entirely at the state level with no funds from the federal government against which they had rebelled. Many old soldiers' homes, now veterans' institutions, have affiliated national cemeteries located on or near the grounds.
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List of old soldiers homes within the United States
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