Ohio Soldiers' & Sailors' Home, Cottage L, U.S. Route 250 at DeWitt Avenue, Sandusky, Erie County, OH

Significance: The Ohio Veterans' Home was established in 1886 as the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, the result of efforts by the Grand Army of the Republic to ensure state care for sick and destitute Ohio Civil War veterans. The Home opened in November, 1888 with 17 residents. During its peak years it had over 2,000 residents, and since its opening it has served over 55,000 Ohio veterans from all major U.S. conflicts. The name was changed to Ohio Veterans' Home in 1979. Current population is about 550. The Home is the legacy of Ohio's movement in the 19th century to establish state-supported institutions to aid the handicapped, the ill and the destitute. Cottage L is one of 16 cottages eventually built at the Home. The cottages housed residents in dormitory rooms with a capacity of seven to a room, seven rooms to a cottage. The Home's eastern portion is dominated by the cottages, most of which were arranged in a ring around the dining hall. Cottage L is currently vacant.
Survey number: HABS OH-2360-C