History of a Landmark
The Union Printers Home, originally the Childs-Drexel Home for Union Printers, was established in 1891/1892 by the National Typographical Union. First proposed in an 1852 Union convention in New Orleans as a residential concept for retired members of the Typographical Union who were sickened from carbon-based ink used in the printing industry, the idea was rejected on five occasions. Finally, two Philadelphia printers donated $10,000 in 1886 “without condition or suggestion of any kind”, according to the Union Printers Home’s written history. Eighty acres of land east of downtown Colorado Springs was donated and the handsome facility with imposing stone façade and stunning mountain views was dedicated on May 12, 1892 with construction costs totaling $71,144.14.
The facility first housed 50 Union members. The home changed its name in 1902 and overtime has provided care for thousands of individuals in need. The Department Veterans Affairs contracted with the home in 2008 to provide residential care and programs for disabled veterans. During its lifetime, the Union Printers Home has provided hospice care, rehabilitation facilities, senior assisted living and long-term skilled nursing care. The campus anchors the intersection of Pikes Peak Avenue and Institute and has been long admired as an architectural, cultural and societal landmark this community has treasured for more than a century.
