Knoxville Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Knoxville Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1515 W. Pleasant St. Knoxville, Iowa
Architect	Henry F. Liebbe
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	United States Second Generation Veterans Hospitals MPS
NRHP reference No.	12000246
Added to NRHP	May 1, 2012

The Knoxville Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District is a special historic area in Knoxville, Iowa, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. This means it's recognized as an important place in American history.

The site has a long past. It started with a cemetery, which is still there today. Later, it became home to different types of hospitals.

Early History of the Site

The land where the hospital stands has been used for a long time.

Home for the Blind

• The State Industrial Home for the Blind opened here on January 1, 1892.
• This home helped people who could not see.
• It operated until April 30, 1900, when the last patient left.

State Hospital

• Two years later, in 1902, the buildings became a State Hospital.
• However, people living nearby were not happy about this.
• The hospital closed down just a few years later.

Becoming a Veterans Hospital

The buildings stayed empty for some time. Then, they found a new purpose.

Temporary Hospital for Veterans

• In 1920, the site became a temporary hospital.
• It was for military veterans who had been injured or disabled.
• At first, there were 125 patients. The hospital could hold up to 171 people.

Permanent VA Facility

• The U.S. Government bought the property in 1922 for $200,000.
• The site was quite large, covering 345 acres.
• It had five brick buildings, a greenhouse, and other smaller buildings.
• The city of Knoxville wanted a permanent hospital there. They got their wish the next year.

Building and Expanding

• Many new buildings were constructed in 1923.
• These included patient buildings (like Buildings 1-5, 8-9), a warehouse, and a power plant.
• Four homes for staff, three garages, and a modern dairy barn were also built.
• The last patient buildings, 101 and 102, were finished in 1944.
• The hospital grew a lot, able to care for up to 1,631 patients.

Changes and Closure

The hospital continued to serve veterans for many years.

Modern Updates

• In 1996, some buildings were updated.
• These included the fire station, the laundry facility, and the education building.

Joining Forces

• Later in 1996, it was decided to combine the Knoxville and Des Moines VA Medical Centers.
• They became known as the VA Central Iowa Healthcare System in 1997.

Hospital Closure

• On January 7, 2005, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony J. Principi, announced the Knoxville facility would close.
• The last patients from Knoxville moved to a new building in Des Moines on December 18, 2009.

Future of the Site

• By February 2019, the city of Knoxville was talking about buying the old hospital campus.