In 1883 the R. E. Lee Camp No. 1, an organization of Confederate
veterans, was established in Richmond, and on January 1, 1885, the group opened
a soldiers' home for financially needy, often disabled, veterans of the war.
The complex was established on an old farm in the West End of Richmond. In
addition to housing for the men, the grounds included a mess hall (seen in the
background of the photo), a hospital, recreation center, print shop, laundry,
and other support buildings. A nondenominational chapel was built in 1887. At
the height of the home's popularity, from 1890 to 1910, roughly 300 veterans
resided there. The last resident died In 1941.
Residents of the R. E. Lee Camp Soldiers' Home, many of them
holding Confederate battle flags, assemble during a Confederate reunion in
Richmond, Virginia, in 1911.
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