For more than 100 years, the simple wooden building on what is now Brandon Avenue in Roanoke was a house of worship. In two rows of pews fronted by a raised pulpit, Lutherans and Moravians bowed their heads in prayer and took part in the Lord’s Supper. Then in 1897, the congregation moved and the Old Zion Church was decommissioned. After serving for a time as a storehouse and later falling into ruin, the building and its land were donated to Virginia Lutheran Homes by landowner Colonel Brown’s family.

Today, the Old Zion Church building is gone and in its place is Brandon Oaks, an award-winning Lifecare community opened in 1993. Opposite Brandon Oaks is Brandon Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which opened in 2003, replacing the old Health Center at Brandon Oaks. In the 1980s, the VLH family expanded into new locations with the addition of Luther Manor (in Virginia Beach) and Luther Crest (in New Market), communities providing rent-subsidized apartment living and supportive services. Virginia Lutheran Homes now serves about 550 residents in our three locations.

At VLH, we believe every moment of life can have beauty, truth and grace. We’ve built our communities on this belief, to value and serve the people we call family.