TYLER (Texas Veterans Land Board) – Generations of veterans gathered Wednesday in Tyler to dedicate what Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson called a “one-of-a-kind” home for Texas veterans. Patterson said Watkins-Logan-Garrison Texas State Veterans Home is “nothing less than a model for the future of long-term care.” What makes the facility unique? It’s the only state veterans home in Texas that consists of ten cottages, each centered around an open kitchen and one common building. Family-style meals will be served at the table, and residents can enjoy each other’s company afterward in a large living room with a fireplace. “The kitchen is the heart of any home,” Patterson said. “Instead of one large, hospital-like facility, Watkins-Logan-Garrison Texas State Veterans Home draws residents together around the dinner table every day, just like at home.”
The Tyler facility was built on 20 acres donated by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. A grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs paid for 65 percent of the construction costs. The remainder was covered by a grant from the Veterans Land Board.
The home was named in honor of three local heroes, two Medal of Honor recipients and a Tuskegee airman: Travis Earl Watkins, James Marion Logan and Samuel M. Garrison. It joins seven other Texas State Veterans Homes across the state in Amarillo, Big Spring, Bonham, El Paso, Floresville, McAllen and Temple. For more on this story, listen to Edie Craig’s “Small Towns, Big Deals” report on this week’s Real Estate Red Zone podcast.
“One-of-a-Kind” Home for Texas Veterans
