The New York State Woman's Relief Corps Home (now the New York State Veterans' Home at Oxford), an old soldiers' home dedicated to the care of soldiers and their immediate families, nurses employed by the United States Army, and widows and mothers of soldiers, was constructed on a plot of land east of the village of Oxford and opened April 19, 1897. In 1916, the New York State Legislature created Route 8-a, an unsigned legislative route connecting the home to Route 8 (now NY 12) in Oxford by way of pre-existing highways. That year, the state of New York began a project to improve the highway. In all, the improvements cost just over $26,150 (equivalent to $ in ). The improved roadway was accepted into the state highway system on March 20, 1919. Route 8-a left Route 8 in the center of Oxford and crossed the Chenango River on Main Street. On the opposite side of the river, it followed Albany Street and East River Road to the home, where it ended. The Route 8-a designation was eliminated on March 1, 1921, as part of a partial renumbering of the legislative route system.