History
Union Printers Home
The Union Printers Home has long been an icon for the City of Colorado Springs, with a rich history of health and wellbeing in the heart of the City. Originally dedicated on May 12, 1892 to house only 30 residents, the Union Printers’ Home began as a convalescent home for members of the International Typographical Union (ITU).
A Brief History of
Union Printers Home
80 acres are deeded to the International Typographical Union. Sanatorium ‘tents’ are a common sight as over 20,000 Tuberculosis patients seek the fresh, dry air in Colorado Springs
Union Printers Home dedicated and first residents move in.
Front Arch and Gatehouse completed. Tree-lined promenade leads to the Union Printers Home, formal gardens and lawns are home to active and passive recreation typical of the era.
Library Wing built to house the Amos J. Cummings Memorial Library.
All in-house dairy farms, including facilities for dairy cows and chickens, operated for many decades, providing food for residents of Union Printers Home and the local community.
There is a major expansion of the Castle building. The second and third stories are added to the Library wing, these include dorm-style rooms for patients. Screened sleeping porches were added to the East side of the Castle building.
The first section of the extension on the South of the Castle is completed.
The second section of the extension is completed on the outside, but due to financial challenges, the interior will not be completed until 1926.
New boiler and laundry building completed, taking 1910 coal-fired boilers from an earlier heating plant.
North Dormitory constructed for residents who did not need direct medical care and could easily make their way around the property for meals and activities. It was built in a New York skyscraper-inspired Art Deco style.
South Sanatorium and Hospital constructed for treating Tuberculosis and other infectious patients. It was designed to nearly mirror the North Dormitory from the outside, although the interior is altered to reflect its use as a hospital.
Antibiotic treatment for Tuberculosis developed. Madras experiment concludes that with medication Tuberculosis patients recover equally as well at home versus in sanitariums.
The International Typographical Union Headquarters was moved from its previous home in Indianapolis to a brand new building on the Union Printers Home grounds. A training center was also built nearby in order to try to keep up with the rapidly changing technology in the printing field.
By 1970, advances in printing technology and health care, and medical advances, led to a decline in union membership and the decision to sell off a significant chunk of the land to the Schuck Corporation.
South Tower closes in 1975 because it was no longer up to code as a hospital, and North Tower closes around 1990 due to changing requirements for nursing home residential facilities.
Merger with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) - the former International Typographical Union formed the Printing, Publishing and Media Workers Sector of the CWA.
Property purchased by a private nursing home group.
By 2021 the property is abandoned, and to assure its preservation, is purchased by a group of local civic-minded families, who immediately engage in a comprehensive site investigation and master planning process.
