Poor Farm

[Beeman]

I picked up a brochure from Wytheville,VA. one of the attractions is the historic site of the Wythe County Poorhouse Farm off of I-77 north exit 41 on Peppers Ferry Rd.

I wonder if this might be an everything old is new again thing?

[seedspreader]

LOL, did they base it on my place?

[blufford]

Originally Posted by Beeman

I picked up a brochure from Wytheville,VA. one of the attractions is the historic site of the Wythe County Poorhouse Farm off of I-77 north exit 41 on Peppers Ferry Rd.

I wonder if this might be an everything old is new again thing?

Here is one link and an excerpt from it about the poorhouse. I think I've also heard places like this called almshouses. I love the area around Wytheville, VA, very pretty and alot of history.


"The farm had everything to make it as self sufficient as possible – a granary to store the grain until it was taken to the Makensaw Mill to be ground into flour and a corn crib to store dried corn, a barn with eight stall for horses. (In the beginning, they had several teams of work horses and a riding horse and buggy.) The farm had a log house for the hogs, with storage area above the hogs. There was a two-story smokehouse for hams and bacon where they could hang 36 hogs. It also had a wash house with a chimney in it and a large black iron pot to wash clothes and make lye soap."

http://www.mtnlaurel.com/poorfarm/poorfarm.htm

[fellini123]

Dont know about Poor House farm but Wytheville has a wonderful quilt shop. It is on on the main street and it just has great fabric and super batiks.
It also has a ghost in the marked down fabrics room.

Alice in Virginia

[uncle Will in In.]

Most countys in Indiana had a poor farm until the 50s when most were closed and the property sold. The county I live in (Cass) still has a poor farm in opperation, however it hasn't got the opperating farm anymore. They have a few acres and a huge old brick house where they still house about a dozen old people who don't require nursing care but don't have the money to house themselves anywhere. They help do the housekeeping and cooking plus care for the grounds. They hire a lady to supervise everything and order whatever they need to keep in opperation. There is a cemetary back a brushy lane behind the poor house where patients have been buried over the years but not many in the last 50 years.

[michiganfarmer]

I think there should be poor house farms, and no welfare. Anyone who needs assistance onoly gets it if they live, and work on the farm.

[mwhit]

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

I think there should be poor house farms, and no welfare. Anyone who needs assistance onoly gets it if they live, and work on the farm.

It's a good idea, but we have so many people already living on the teat that if we put them to work on farms they'd put real farmers out of business

For those in NY, here is a list of all the poorhouses for each county. Here is what it says about my county. Pay particular attention to the last bolded sentence. Sounds a lot like the problem we still have today

This house is located near Canton, and consists of wooden edifices, two stories joined together, each twenty-two by thirty feet on the ground. The farm consists of one hundred and thirty acres, yielding an annual revenue of $1000. The basements are occupied by paupers. It has no ventilation and no provision for bathing. Twenty rooms are appropriated to the use of the inmates, in which rooms from one to seven are placed. One hundred and twenty paupers were found in the house, forty males and eighty females, of whom sixty were foreign and sixty native born, including forty children. The sexes are not kept separate either by day or night. They are in (the) charge of one keeper who is assisted by his wife and aided by the paupers, work the farm and provide for the wants of the family. The supplies for the house are furnished by contract. The supervisors have visited the house once during the year. The average number supported in the house is one hundred and fifty, at an average cost of eighty-three cents each per week. The house is not supplied with Bibles, but a Sabbath school is maintained, and a day school during the whole time at a cost of $1.00 per week. A physician is employed who will do the business at the smallest price, the present incumbent receives a salary of $90 per year. During the year there have been ten births and twelve deaths. There is one blind, one deaf and dumb, and twelve lunatics, five males and seven females and all paupers. They have no special attendants nor receive any special medical attention. None have been cured or improved the past year. Some are confined in cells constantly. The methods of restraining are confinement in cells, handcuffs and shackles. The house does not allow of the classification of the insane. There is one idiot twenty-four years old. Three-fourths of the whole number who receive support in this house are reduced to this necessity consequent upon habits of inebriation.

Michelle

[Liese]

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

I think there should be poor house farms, and no welfare. Anyone who needs assistance onoly gets it if they live, and work on the farm.

Before you really advocate Poor Houses you may want to read some English history - those poor houses became sweat shops - an exceedingly bleak living it was. It would seem that it is almost inevitable for people in power and who have means to not take advantage of those at the bottom and those poor houses proved it. Sometimes even worse were those run by "charities" -another thin disguise. Dickens would be a good start -he wrote many pieces that speak of what was quite commonplace.

[mwhit]

Originally Posted by Liese

Before you really advocate Poor Houses you may want to read some English history - those poor houses became sweat shops - an exceedingly bleak living it was. It would seem that it is almost inevitable for people in power and who have means to not take advantage of those at the bottom and those poor houses proved it. Sometimes even worse were those run by "charities" -another thin disguise. Dickens would be a good start -he wrote many pieces that speak of what was quite commonplace.

It's so much better now-- we work hard and support them so they don't have sweat at all.

Michelle

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by Liese

Before you really advocate Poor Houses you may want to read some English history - those poor houses became sweat shops - an exceedingly bleak living it was. It would seem that it is almost inevitable for people in power and who have means to not take advantage of those at the bottom and those poor houses proved it. Sometimes even worse were those run by "charities" -another thin disguise. Dickens would be a good start -he wrote many pieces that speak of what was quite commonplace.

did the poor get fed? they better be happy to get a full belly. If thye dont like the working conditions, then I guess they better find something different to do. I have no sympathy. Everyone CAN do SOMETHING, and everyone should do something to earn their room and board.

[texican]

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

I think there should be poor house farms, and no welfare. Anyone who needs assistance onoly gets it if they live, and work on the farm.

Don't you know that'd violate their civil rights, having to work...

I would imagine most would have heart attacks within a week if they had to do real farm work.

They'd definitely have a step down in 'eating'.... as most I see with their food stamp cards get to eat the bestest of the best at the grocery store... Buggies full of expensive meat, luxurious snack foods... they get this stuff every day, and I splurge a couple times a year on store bought meat... snacks are rare...

[blufford]

Here are several more links to information about poor farms or poor houses.


http://www.poorhousestory.com/poorho...n_virginia.htm

http://www.poorhousestory.com/history.htm

[Liese]

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

did the poor get fed? they better be happy to get a full belly. If thye dont like the working conditions, then I guess they better find something different to do. I have no sympathy. Everyone CAN do SOMETHING, and everyone should do something to earn their room and board.

I would say then that you have taken a full page from Dickens' Christmas Carol - 'let them die then and decrease the surplus population'. How fortunate for you to have been born in a position of sufficiency and lack of imagination.

Just wanted to add that "full belly wasn't part of the reality" any more than it is today despite certain propaganda.

[mwhit]

Originally Posted by Liese

I would say then that you have taken a full page from Dickens' Christmas Carol - 'let them die then and decrease the surplus population'. How fortunate for you to have been born in a position of sufficiency and lack of imagination.

Just wanted to add that "full belly wasn't part of the reality" any more than it is today despite certain propaganda.

Sooo... you'd prefer the homeless live under a bridge or in an alley with a box for shelter? No, I imagine you think we should give them more based on your last sentence...

I see nothing wrong with expecting people to earn their way in life. Some people can not help themselves and I do understand that, but there are many, many able bodied people sitting on their duff enjoying their 'free ride'. Unlike you, most of us do not have a lot of sympathy for someone that will not help themselves.

I do know that if I was destitute, homeless and hungry I'd work my fingers to the bone for a roof over my head and a bit of food.

Michelle

[Liese]

The topic here is the "Poorhouse" and my take on them is from a historical POV where people in positions of power were using those born in terribly unfair conditions. Terribly unfair conditions still occur today everywhere and I do believe that as a society how we treat our poor and disadvantaged shows our values, morals and true humanness. We can all think that "if I was destitute..." but remember your thinking hypothetically with the benefits of good nutrition, a decent education, having grown up with certain benefits that are as intangible as the air you breathe. You can only work if someone will employ you, if you have some skills ... etc. This last year I was tutoring a man who was 50, and never learnt to read, very poor mental skills - years ago people who were slow just got pushed along. He is employable as physical labour but hundreds of people are like him where do they get work? The mills are all gone, manufacturing closed up, so what would you do with this guy? Farming and other labour intensive work is now all done mechanically with 1 at the wheel. And this guy has gone through all his life being told he was stupid, good for nothing - so that's what he does. The previous student I tutored in Fl - almost same story only he was told he was mentally retarded - got into trouble as a teenager and given 2 options prison or the Military. So he went to 'Nam, survived and when I was working with him was doing house painting - he's okay as long as the economy is good enough so people will pay for house painting, he doesn't have anything else to fall back on. If he hadn't been given that option tho and had been sent to jail he probably wouldn't have work because we can now do all these background checks...See to me being poor, not being poor is both complex and simple, like life- messy, complicated and definitely not black and white and yet simple like Luck

[Wildwood Flower]

My mother used to tell us about the "poor house". In theory, I think it's a good idea. I'm sure there were abuses, but I do believe that many people would feel more self esteem about contributing something to their own keep.

Even those who are mentally ill would enjoy having something to do every day.

They used to have a prison farm at our State penitentiary. It was really nice and clean. I don't know why they did away with it. I'm sure it gave some of the inmates something productive to do every day--and a sense of self-esteem.

I remember they had milk cows and chickens and a large vegetable garden. The whole farm and fences was painted white--my Dad used to point it out to us kids when we passed by. Fascinating.

[dahliaqueen]

Originally Posted by Liese

...See to me being poor, not being poor is both complex and simple, like life- messy, complicated and definitely not black and white and yet simple like Luck

Liese....
Unlike many folks on this site, you see the bigger picture and you have compassion for people who are in trouble.

How could you?

[ruby_jane]

Originally Posted by Beeman

I picked up a brochure from Wytheville,VA. one of the attractions is the historic site of the Wythe County Poorhouse Farm off of I-77 north exit 41 on Peppers Ferry Rd.

I wonder if this might be an everything old is new again thing?

That's just about a hour north of here...but I too thought they were talkin' about my little spread of land

[ceresone]

Theres a few on here that should remember "There, But For The Grace Of GOD, Go I'
or, let me not judge a man till I have walked a mile in his shoes.
May GOD have mercy on them, if they fall from their exalted position, and live like the rest of us mortals.
I think there is many, who are but a paycheck away from disaster--or a mortgage payment away, as Hillary is saying.

[Nette]

Well, this isn't a poor farm, but it's a poor HOUSE that's been revitalized, and looks like a neat place to visit. I hope to go for a week-end in February.

http://www.carteretcountyhomeb-b.com/history.htm

Speaking of Wythe County, it IS a beautiful place to visit, as is adjacent Grayson County. If you go there, be sure to find the "Peach Bottom Road." My kind of place!