The idea of a veterans home in the United States originated in the philanthropic mind of New Jersey Governor Marcus L. Ward, who had great concern for the sick and wounded soldiers of the Civil War. He believed that the commitment and obligation of the state and its citizens to those veterans did not end just because the war was over.

With the dedication of the New Jersey Soldiers' Home in Newark in 1866, a proud tradition began - a tradition of concern for and commitment to the veterans of New Jersey. Since that time, New Jersey has remained in the forefront in providing the finest in residential and skilled nursing care for our veterans and in responding and adapting to their changing health care needs.