Almshouse (Poor House) A House for Employment and Support of the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Almshouse (Poor House)

A House for Employment and Support

• f the Poor in Adams County

Provincial Pennsylvania laws to relieve the “poor, old, blind, lame, and impotent”

 Elect five “respectable citizens” to choose a site on which to

erect the necessary buildings

 Elect three “reputable citizens” to be directors of the poor,

serving for three-year terms; one elected each year

 Paid $20 per year  Directors to erect necessary buildings  Directors to administer the undertaking, including binding out

the poor children

 Directors to report annually and in detail to the quarter

sessions court and grand jury and arrange for an audit

 Directors to estimate the sums of money needed each year to

the county commissioners, who shall provide those funds

The Act of March 24, 1817

 Directors to inform township overseer of the poor when the

“house of employment” is ready for occupancy and to receive the poor, after which the office of overseer of the poor shall be abolished

 Directors may “permit any poor person or persons to be

maintained elsewhere”

 Directors to meet at the house or houses at least once a

month, “see that the poor are comfortably supported, and hear all complaints, and redress, or cause to be redressed, all grievances which may happen by neglect or misconduct of any person or persons in their employment or otherwise”

The Act of March 24, 1817 (cont.)

The Main Poorhouse Land

The Poorhouse Population (1819-1965)

 Sources of information  How did a pauper get there?  How long did they stay?  Who was in charge of the place?  Was there any type of program for the residents?  What was on the menu?  The presence of death

Life in the Poorhouse

The Poorhouse Farm

Infirmary Building

Insane Department

From the published annual production report by the steward, 1860-1900:

 5000 lbs. of pork  5000 lbs. of beef  Vegetables:

 Onions  Red beets  Turnips  Sweet potatoes  Beans

The Poorhouse Farm

 Peas  Cabbage  Tomatoes  Cucumbers

From the federal 1860 agricultural census:

 Improved acres: 200  Unimproved acres: 109  Animals:

 5 horses, 13 milk cows, 14 other cattle, 40 sheep, and 17 swine

 Grains produced:

 600 bushels of wheat, 38 bushels of rye, 600 bushels of Indian

corn, 335 bushels of oats, 70 tons of hay

 265 bushels of potatoes  1560 lbs. of butter

The Poorhouse Farm

The Battle of Gettysburg

Outdoor Relief

Treatment of the Insane

 1857-1873…………c. 1300  1874-1878…………c. 2925  1879-1884…………c. 735  1885-1892…………c. 1728  1893-1900…………c. 3750  1901-1920…………c. 1550

Tramps: Annual Number Stopping at the Poor House

1960 Map of the Almshouse

1960 Map

• f the

Almshouse

Fires

Demolish: Last of the Old County Home