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More than 100 people joined local officials and Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce ambassadors on Oct. 3 for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at Patriots' Hall of Dripping Springs (PHDS), marking a key milestone in providing a home for veterans and their families in North Hays County.
Patriots' Hall is reimagining the traditional veterans' club, offering a modern, inclusive environment for veterans of all ages and backgrounds. Unlike aging Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion halls, which have struggled to maintain decades-old meet- ing spaces and attract younger veterans, PHDS aims to engage veterans from more recent conflicts, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as their families.
After the ribboncutting, guests gathered in the main hall to raise a glass of champagne and toast the opening.
'Patriots' Hall is a place to enable veterans and their families to connect, grow, and thrive,' said retired Gen. Scott McKean, the first executive director of Patriots' Hall. 'We have so many veterans living here in Dripping Springs and the surrounding area who don't even know their neighbor is a veteran. Sometimes, you just need to talk to someone with a shared experience.'
McKean credited Patriots' Hall founders Kathryn Chandler and Mary Jane Hetrick, saying, 'This is their vision. They had a lot of people tell them 'no' along the way, but they remained steadfast. Let's raise a glass to their accomplishment.'
Located in Dripping Springs, Patriots' Hall offers mental health support, job training, social activities, and wellness programs to its area veterans. The 10-acre campus features a 7,100-squarefoot main hall with a kitchen, administrative space, and a library. A wellness center provides consultations with physicians and VA benefits specialists, with further amenities in development.
And while the focus of its mission is to support veterans, the families of those who served in the nation’s armed forces are also included in its core constituency.
Patriots' Hall was founded in response to one local veterans' need and search for a permanent meeting space for local veterans. For years, Dripping Springs VFW members moved between borrowed spaces like school buildings and fire halls but this group did not have a permanent home.
The effort gained momentum in 2016 when Vietnam veteran Ronnie 'Shorty' Barnett circulated a flier at the town's Founders Day festival, asking for help securing a veterans' meeting place. The flier reached Kathryn Chandler, whose father was also a Vietnam veteran.
Chandler, who is married to actor Kyle Chandler of 'Friday Night Lights' fame, began rallying support for a permanent home for veterans. Initially, the Chandlers envisioned a small plot of land with a basic steel building. But when they shared their idea with local software entrepreneur Hank Seale and his wife, Lyssa, the vision expanded.
'They said this is way too small. This could be much bigger, much more important,' Kyle Chandler recalled. From there, the concept grew exponentially.
A core team, including Kathryn Chandler, Hetrick, and Amy Doucet, began surveying veterans from Fort Hood to San Antonio. The vision evolved into a 'one-stop shop' for veterans' services, including programs for families.
Patriots' Hall formed a nonprofit organization, set a $10 million fundraising goal, and began turning the vision into reality. The first project was a meeting room shared by VFW Post 2933 and American Legion Post 290. Over time, the plan expanded to create a comprehensive facility offering support for veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
Inclusivity remains central to Patriots' Hall, which serves veterans of all eras, including women and younger veterans with families.
After years of planning and fundraising, Patriots' Hall opened on Sept. 4, 2024, with an open house for veterans and their families. As it transitions from start-up mode, the board of directors will focus on delivering programs and services.
McKean now leads as executive director, while Marty Markgraf was hired this summer as administrative manager to oversee daily operations and volunteers.
The ribbon-cutting was a bittersweet moment for the founders. Barnett, whose request sparked the project, passed away in 2023. He is honored as Patriots' Hall's Director Emeritus, and Chandler and Hetrick paused to reflect on how much sweeter the day would have been if he could have seen it.
Patriots' Hall is located at 231 Patriots Hall Blvd. in Dripping Springs. For more information, visit patriotshall. org.
