Officers Row, a part of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, is a congregation of 21 of the former homes of U.S. military officer

Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...

s stationed at the Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...

. The oldest of the homes, named the Grant House (after Ulysses S. Grant, who was stationed at the barracks as a Captain at that time but never lived in the house), dates from 1846, and the last edifice was constructed in 1906. In the 1970s a grassroots

Grassroots

A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...

 campaign to refurbish the dilapidated properties began to appear, and the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 1974. In 1980, the U.S. Army declared it a surplus, and it was henceforth deeded to the city for one dollar. A 10.9 million dollar rehabilitation effort proceeded in 1987. Today these homes have been fully restored, and now house several commercial and 34 residential rental spaces.