The Western Branch of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers was established in 1885 in Leavenworth, Kansas to house aging veterans of the American Civil War.

[2] Initial construction focused on barracks-style accommodations, ornamented with a bandstand and a lake.

The Domiciliary Buildings are arranged perpendicular to the ridge, in a Georgian Colonial Revival style.

Typical design features include brick construction with limestone accents, with sandstone and terra cotta details.

Romanesque Revival architecture appears in Franklin Hall, while the Ward Memorial Building is an elaborate Queen Anne structure.