In the 1890's the Woman's Relief Corps, the auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, persuaded New York State to establish and maintain a home which a veteran could enter accompanied by his wife without separating them in their advanced years. Before the establishment of the home, veterans could be admitted to the New York State Soldiers and Sailors Home at Bath, New York, but no provision was made for the wives of such veterans and they were left to care for themselves the best they could.
The site chosen for the facility was located in the Village of Oxford, New York in Chenango County and was formally opened in April 19, 1897 and immediately admitted 24 residents members. By 1911 the home had expanded to five buildings, including four cottages and an infirmary (now known as the skilled nursing facility). Also by 1911 there were 172 resident members at the facility. In 1931 a wing was added to the skilled nursing facility.
In 1971 administration responsibility for the home was transferred from the New York State Department of Social Services to the Department of Health. Shortly after the transfer it was determined that the facility was out of conformity with health and safety requirements of the Life Safety Code of the National Fire Protection Association because of its basic wood frame construction. It was also determined that replacing the facility would be a much more economical way to bring it into compliance than to attempt to renovate the existing facility. In 1972 the State legislature appropriated funds to develop plans for a new facility.
That building opened in 1979. In May of 1981 the all-new one story building was formally opened. Each resident had a private room sharing an adjoining restroom shared with one other resident. There are no longer cottages identified as A, B, C, and D but were given distinctive names such as Apple, Spruce, Maple, Pine, Hawthorn, and Oak, each named after a tree.The 1979 Building was Replaced in 2009 with the current Facility
