Built as the female nurses quarters in this structure was adjacent to the original hospital, which burned down in Now known as the Personnel Quarters, this residence is a good example of the Adam Revival style identified by the pedimented projecting center bay, modillioned cornice, quoins, and keystoned windows with six-over-six sash. Also typical of the style are the prominent entrances featuring flat-roofed porches, fanlights and sidelights. A large addition made in the was one of a number of Depress ion-era projects undertaken at the facility. The Personnel Quarters represents a shift in architecture at the Soldiers' National Home from wood-frame French Second Empire, High Victorian Gothic, and Queen Anne structures to more permanent brick buildings in classically based styles.
Soldiers' National Home, Personnel Quarters (Building (Veterans Administration Medical Center) HABS No. OH-2364-E (Page 2) PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History 1. Date of erection: 2. Architects: Not known 3. Original and subsequent owners: Soldiers' National Home (Veterans Administration Medical Center), Dayton National Cemetery 4. Builder: Not known 5. Original plans and construction: When originally contructed in the personnel quarters was a two-and-one-half story, seven-bay, brick residence with entrance porches on the front and side elevations. 6. Additions and alterations: The longer north wing was probably added in the B.
Historical context: Originally constructed in as the female nurses cottage, the Personnel Quarters was the only building erected at the Soldiers' National Home during that year. A quarters for male nurses had been built ten years earlier. This brick residence was part of an effort beginning in about to replace the facility's older frame structures with brick. The construction of the nurses cottage also reflected an increased need for nurses as the popu 1at ion of resident veterans grew. The addition was one of numerous Depression-era projects at the Soldier's National Home. PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General statement: 1. Architectural character: The personnel quarters is a good early example of the Adam Revival style.
Typical elements of that style includes the formal plan, symmetrical facade with central pedimented gable, heavy modillioned cornice, quoins, and doorways with fanlights and sidelights, as well as the flat-roofed entry porches supported by paired columns. The addition, undertaken about thirty years later, was carefully matched to the origina 1. 2. Condition of fabric: Vacant and unheated since the steam line failed in the winter of this structure is in poor condition. The porches are collapsing, and dormer window sash are missing. The interior is altered and deteriorated. Soldiers' National Home, Personnel Quarters (Building (Veterans Administration Medical Center) HABS No. OH-2364-E (Page 3) B. Description of exterior: I.
Overall dimensions: The front section is approximately 64' x and the addition is approximately x 2. Foundations: The foundation of the original section is coursed ashlar stone, while the addition has a concrete foundation. 3. Walls: The walls are red brick laid in common bond. 4. Structural system: The structure consists of brick masonry bearing walls and steel beams. 5. Openings a. Doorways and doors: The main entrance doorways were in the front section. The entrance in the center bay features a paneled door, flanked by fluted pilasters and sidelights and surmounted by a fanlight. This motif is repeated at the side entrances. b.
Windows: The windows feature flat-arched lintels with stone keystones and six-over-six wood sash in the front section and eight- over-eight wood sash in the addition. 6. Roof: The roofs are gabled and covered with asphalt shingles. 7. Special features: Decorative elements include quoins and a heavy modillioned metal cornice, and two dormers with arched sash. The long wing has many of the same decorative features as the original section--a limestone watertable, keystones at the first-floor windows and a corbelled brick belt course uniting the second-floor window sills. The north elevation is broken by a full-height curved bay. At both ends, wood infill indicates the enclosure of what were open loggias. C. Description of Interior: I. Floor plans: a.
Basement: The fu 11 basement inc 1udes storage room, two baggage rooms and a maids' locker room in the front section, and a recreation room, laundry room and other utility rooms in the addition. b. First floor: The first floor of the original section has hallways with a room in each corner and is connected to the addition by a octagonal hyphen with a stairway. The addition has a central corridor along its length, flanked by small dormitory-style rooms. c. Second fl oar: The second fl oar of the orig i na 1 section has nine small dormitory rooms, stairway and toilet room arranged along a Soldiers' National Home, Personnel Quarters (Building (Veterans Administration Medical Center) HABS No. OH-2364-E (Page 4) central longitudinal corridor. There is no connection between wings at this level.
The addition has small rooms on each side of the longitudinal corridor, along with a recreation room in the curved bay and toilet rooms. 2. Stairways: All stairs have steel stringers and concrete treads. 3. Flooring: Flooring throughout is vinyl asbestos tile. 4. Wall and ceiling finish: All walls and ceilings are finished plaster. 5. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The front sect~on has transomed doorways and paneled wood doors. b. Windows: The windows of the front section have six-over-six wood sash, and those of the addition have eight-over-eight wood sash. 6. Decorative features and trim: none 7. Hardware: no significant hardware 8. Mechanical equipment: a. Heating: The building was heated by steam radiators with steam piped in from a remote central plant. b. Air conditioning: none c.
Ventilation: Ventilation was provided through operable windows. d. Lighting: no distinctive fixtures e. Plumbing: no distinctive fixtures O. Site: I. General setting and orientation: The personnel quarters faces south and is set back from a large formal circle with a fountain in the center. 2. Historic landscape design: Landscaping consists only of concrete walks connecting the three entrances of the front section with the circle. PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Architectural drawings: Undated architectural drawings are on file at the Engineering Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dayton. Soldiers' National Home, Personnel Quarters (Building (Veterans Administration Medical Center) HABS No. OH-2364-E (Page 5) B.
Early Views: A few black-and-white photographs are on file at the Engineering Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dayton, and at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, C: Interview: Richard Pearson, Assistant Chief, Engineering Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, January 24, D.
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