The Roanoke VA Hospital Historic District in the city of Salem is significant as an excellent, intact example of a neuropsychiatric Second Generation Veterans Hospital. Construction began on the Roanoke VA Hospital in 1934, and various additions were constructed through 1950. The use of regionally popular architectural styles creates a cohesive design for the historic district and its grouping of buildings. The use of revivalist architecture, especially on the monumental main building, reflects the importance of the VA and its mission to provide medical care to the nation’s veterans. Revivalist architecture, such as the Colonial Revival and Classical Revival styles, was utilized for many federal buildings constructed in the first half of the twentieth century to exhibit patriotism through the use of stylistic elements associated with the early history of the United States and to reflect the permanence of the institutions contained within the buildings.
[NRHP Listed Only]