WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Fort Bragg and Corvias marked the renovation of the first 21 historic homes now ready for military families.
  • The homes were built between 1928 and 1939 and retain features including stucco walls, copper gutters, hardwood floors and basements.
  • Fort Bragg has 230 homes built before 1940, all designated as historic.
  • Historic homes average 18 days and $4,342 to prepare between occupants, compared with 15 days and $3,681 for standard homes.

Nearly century old homes at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, are receiving extensive renovations designed to preserve their historic character while delivering updated features for military families. The work also addresses safety concerns associated with aging residential properties.

Fort Bragg officials and Corvias, the private housing company operating the installation’s housing, recently marked the renovation of the first of 21 historic homes now ready for military families. The milestone gives these aging residences a renewed purpose without stripping away their distinctive features.

The 21 homes were constructed between 1928 and 1939. Their historic elements include stucco walls, copper gutters, hardwood floors and basements, all features that connect the residences to an earlier period in the installation’s development.

Fort Bragg has 230 homes built before 1940, and every one of them is designated as historic. The installation also has about 2,300 homes built before 1960 among its total inventory of 6,104 residences, officials said.

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Even so, Fort Bragg does not have the Army’s oldest housing. Across 19 other Army installations in 13 states and the District of Columbia, 867 houses were built before 1919, according to the Army.

The Army manages the federal government’s largest inventory of historic housing. That inventory includes more than 30,000 historic homes that are over 50 years old, creating a major preservation and maintenance responsibility across numerous installations.

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These historic residences are subject to requirements under the National Historic Preservation Act, according to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The federal agency promotes the preservation of historic places across the United States.

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The council has worked with the Army and the other military services as they prepare renovation plans for older housing. Its role includes helping ensure that renovations preserve historic character while allowing the homes to meet the needs of military families.

Fort Bragg’s garrison commander, Col. Luke Wittmer, emphasized that the residences remain valuable because they continue serving soldiers and their families. He placed the project’s focus squarely on preserving history without treating the homes like untouchable museum pieces.

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An AH-64 Apache helicopter flies above a Sentinel radar during Exercise Scarlet Dragon 26-3 at Fort Bragg, N.C., Sept. 15, 2026. Apaches assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade flew high-speed, low profiles while Sentinel radars fed tracks into a shared air picture. Scarlet Dragon tested how legacy Army systems and autonomous technology worked together against modern aerial threats.

“These residences are an important part of Fort Bragg’s history, but their greatest value is continuing to serve soldiers and families who live in these homes,” Wittmer said in an announcement. “This renovation preserves history while ensuring we continue to meet the needs of today’s families.”

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Preserving historic military housing has long created challenges for installations and the families who live there. Older homes can contain lead paint and asbestos, both of which are hazardous and costly to remediate.

Most historic military homes were included in the housing inventory transferred to private companies for operation and maintenance beginning in the early 2000s. At Fort Bragg, Corvias operates the installation’s housing and is involved in the current renovation effort.

Army figures show that historic homes require more time to prepare between occupants than standard residences. The average preparation period for a historic home is 18 days, compared with 15 days for a standard home.

The cost difference is also substantial. Preparing a historic home between occupants costs an average of $4,342, while the average for a standard home is $3,681, according to the Army.

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Fort Bragg was designated as a permanent Army post in 1922. Construction of the first permanent party officers’ family quarters along Alexander and Hunt streets began in 1927, officials said.

Construction of family housing for noncommissioned officers followed in 1928. The renovated homes therefore represent part of the period when Fort Bragg was establishing permanent quarters for soldiers and their families.

The first 21 renovated residences preserve recognizable elements from that period while addressing the demands of current military housing. For families moving into them, the project delivers updated living spaces inside homes that remain tied to Fort Bragg’s history.