Buildings too antiquated to use, too grand to demolish

Milwaukee

WHEN the towers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers began rising after the American Civil War, they were seen as soaring monuments to the nation's benevolence. But after more than a century of use, they became more of an albatross.

The roof leaked. The wards were sheathed in lead paint and asbestos. The old wiring was a fire waiting to happen.