Hendersonville – Just in time for Independence Day, local patriotism was on full display as Henderson County celebrated the newly renovated Veterans Services Building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and public tours on July 3.
The event marked the grand opening of the former Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) building at 900 North Main Street in Hendersonville. In addition to continuing to serve VFW Post 5206, the site will be a hub for county-wide support services to veterans and their families, with two full-time veterans services officers working from the space.
The building will also offer event space for the community, with community groups welcome to rent meeting space or the large second floor through the Henderson County Parks and Recreation Department.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by Henderson County Manager John Mitchell, who said, “It’s a privilege to be here because of the individuals who built this building and the purpose for which it was built. It’s an honor for me to be here to honor them and their service and their sacrifice the day before what I believe is the most sacred day in our republic, the Fourth of July.”
The Hedrick-Rhodes VFW Post 5206 was formed in 1946 as a respite for the returning soldiers, and the building was constructed in 1948. At its peak, the local post boasted nearly 1600 members. However, membership declined sharply in recent years, and the post struggled to maintain the multistory facility.
Chair McCall noted that the project was completed on time and under budget. “I don’t know how under budget it is, but one dollar counts,” said McCall.
Speaking during the ribbon cutting, Chair of the Henderson County Board of Commissioners Rebecca McCall noted the long history of veterans from Henderson County, including more than 4,000 soldiers who served in World War II.
“The project goal for the county was to preserve the rich history of this building while also striving to be the most veteran-friendly community in the country,” said McCall.
The renovated building will continue to serve the VFW for meetings and events, according to Post 5206 Commander Edward Skrivanek. “Right now we have our monthly meetings in the American Legion; they’ve been kind enough to allow us to meet there,” said Skrivanek. “But starting in August, we’ll move our meetings back in here, so it will be nice to be locked back into our own space and know we’ll always have a home. So we’re looking forward to that and getting our members active again.”