National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Northwestern Branch, Ward Memorial Hall, 5000 West National Avenue, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI

The original drawings transmitted the the Library of Congress in 2010 contained errors and were replaced by corrected drawings in 2013.
Significance: Ward Memorial Hall was built in 1881-82 during a period of expansion for the Northwestern Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Originally the recreational facilities for resident veterans were housed in the multi-purpose Main Building (HABS No. WI-360-A). Expansion of the membership and a shift away from the centralized model in the 1880s and 1890s resulted in the construction of a number of specialized new buildings. Prominent Milwaukee architect Henry C. Koch designed Ward Memorial Hall with a theater/meeting room, store, restaurant, and railroad ticket office. Koch's firm was the architect for many buildings during this period of expansion including the hospital (1879), the chapel (1889), and the headquarters building (1894). In 1898 the theater space was reconfigured to have a sloped floor, balcony, and boxes flanking the proscenium stage. This unusual combination of building uses was intended to address the growing recreational needs of the Northwestern Branch.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1469
Survey number: HABS WI-360-B
Building/structure dates: 1882 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 05000530