Asylum Projects - User contributions [en]

North Carolina Hospital for Dangerous Insane

2023-09-29T18:33:52Z

Mkkelly89: /* History */

{{infobox institution
| name = The State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane
| image = SPR 1910s.png
| image_size = 250px
| established = August 1901
| closed = 1923
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Single Building Institutions|Single Building]]
| architect(s) = Levi Scofield
| location = Raleigh, North Carolina
| architecture_style = Gothic
| alternate_names = 
}}

==History==
Established by the state in 1901 and was located on the grounds of the state penitentiary in Raleigh.

The State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane was established in 1901 and located within the existing State Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, and served the entire state. Prior to the establishment of the hospital, the criminally insane patients had been placed under the care of the staff of the State Hospital at Raleigh, which was located across the street from the prison, and housed in one of the penitentiary buildings. Now that the care of the criminally insane was the full responsibility of the state prison, a skilled physician was hired to be in charge of the ward and would serve a four-year term before a new physician was appointed.

The criminally insane were housed in the west wing of the prison, in a four-story building that had been separated from the rest of the prison and opened as a separate institution in August of 1901. On the first floor was a ward for African-American males, the kitchen, dining room, and store rooms. The second floor served as the ward for white males and provided office space for the hospital steward. The third floor was entirely reserved for white males. The fourth floor housed two wards separated by partition: one side for white females and the other for African American females. A female attendant also lived on the fourth floor in her own apartment. There were eight “strong rooms” or isolation rooms for unruly patients and those who attempted escape. Meals were served to female patients in their ward. White male patients had their meals in the dining hall, while a portion of the kitchen was reserved for Black male patients.

The population as of April 1901 was 33, nearly all of whom had been inmates at the State Hospital in Raleigh or the State Prison. The majority of patients were guilty of serious crimes. A report from 1916 noted, “Practically all of them were hopelessly insane and in bad physical health by reason of long confinement or constitutional disease.” The majority of the patients came from rural districts in North Carolina and many of them farmers or laborers.

The population in the criminally insane ward steadily grew over the first ten years of it opening and soon became overcrowded. The prison was not receiving adequate funding to provide the care for the criminally insane. In 1907, the annual report of the prison stated that a new facility for the criminally insane was “urgently needed.” At the time, many insane patients were held in cells with the general population of the prison due to overcrowding in their own ward. A 1918 report noted that “the wards in which these people are confined are improvised, unsafe, and totally unsuited for such purpose.” Despite having a physician assigned to the ward, proper medical care and treatment often times was not given to all of the patients.

It soon became obvious that many of the inmates assigned to the criminally insane ward were not, in fact, dangerous, but born with mental deficiencies or were epileptic. A 1918 report stated that of the 67 inmates, some could “neither speak coherently nor feed themselves.” The report when on to describe the imprisonment of three children under the age of 15 “who are absolutely devoid of all reason and have been since birth.” While they were accused of legitimate crimes, two including assault with a deadly weapon, the prison board recognized that this was not the place for them. “There are many other similar cases,” the report said. “The majority of the patients give very little trouble to the management.”

In 1923, an Act of the General Assembly was passed that closed the State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane at the State Prison and instructed the prison to transfer patients to other state hospitals. White inmates were transferred to the State Hospital at Raleigh (Dix Hill), while Black inmates were transferred to the State Hospital at Goldsboro. Each ward was able to accommodate 150 patients. This was to ensure the patients received adequate care in a facility designed for that purpose and to relieve overcrowding at the prison.

<gallery>
File:SPR 1900.png|State Prison at Raleigh, circa 1900. The State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane would have been the large four-story structure located at the far right.
File:SPR 1910s.png|State Prison at Raleigh postcard, circa 1910s.
File:SPR Sanborn.png|Sanborn Map of State Prison at Raleigh, 1914.
</gallery>

[[Category:North Carolina]]
[[Category:Demolished Institution]]
[[Category:Single Building Institutions]]
[[Category:Institution for Criminally Insane]]

North Carolina Hospital for Dangerous Insane

2023-09-29T18:33:14Z

Mkkelly89:

{{infobox institution
| name = The State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane
| image = SPR 1910s.png
| image_size = 250px
| established = August 1901
| closed = 1923
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Single Building Institutions|Single Building]]
| architect(s) = Levi Scofield
| location = Raleigh, North Carolina
| architecture_style = Gothic
| alternate_names = 
}}

==History==
Established by the state in 1901 and was located on the grounds of the state penitentiary in Raleigh.

The State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane was established in 1901 and located within the existing State Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, and served the entire state. Prior to the establishment of the hospital, the criminally insane patients had been placed under the care of the staff of the State Hospital at Raleigh, which was located across the street from the prison, and housed in one of the penitentiary buildings. Now that the care of the criminally insane was the full responsibility of the state prison, a skilled physician was hired to be in charge of the ward and would serve a four-year term before a new physician was appointed.

The criminally insane were housed in the west wing of the prison, in a four-story building that had been separated from the rest of the prison and opened as a separate institution in August of 1901. On the first floor was a ward for African-American males, the kitchen, dining room, and store rooms. The second floor served as the ward for white males and provided office space for the hospital steward. The third floor was entirely reserved for white males. The fourth floor housed two wards separated by partition: one side for white females and the other for African American females. A female attendant also lived on the fourth floor in her own apartment. There were eight “strong rooms” or isolation rooms for unruly patients and those who attempted escape. Meals were served to female patients in their ward. White male patients had their meals in the dining hall, while a portion of the kitchen was reserved for Black male patients.

The population as of April 1901 was 33, nearly all of whom had been inmates at the State Hospital in Raleigh or the State Prison. The majority of patients were guilty of serious crimes. A report from 1916 noted, “Practically all of them were hopelessly insane and in bad physical health by reason of long confinement or constitutional disease.” The majority of the patients came from rural districts in North Carolina and many of them farmers or laborers.

The population in the criminally insane ward steadily grew over the first ten years of it opening and soon became overcrowded. The prison was not receiving adequate funding to provide the care for the criminally insane. In 1907, the annual report of the prison stated that a new facility for the criminally insane was “urgently needed.” At the time, many insane patients were held in cells with the general population of the prison due to overcrowding in their own ward. A 1918 report noted that “the wards in which these people are confined are improvised, unsafe, and totally unsuited for such purpose.” Despite having a physician assigned to the ward, proper medical care and treatment often times was not given to all of the patients.

It soon became obvious that many of the inmates assigned to the criminally insane ward were not, in fact, dangerous, but born with mental deficiencies or were epileptic. A 1918 report stated that of the 67 inmates, some could “neither speak coherently nor feed themselves.” The report when on to describe the imprisonment of three children under the age of 15 “who are absolutely devoid of all reason and have been since birth.” While they were accused of legitimate crimes, two including assault with a deadly weapon, the prison board recognized that this was not the place for them. “There are many other similar cases,” the report said. “The majority of the patients give very little trouble to the management.”

In 1923, an Act of the General Assembly was passed that closed the State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane at the State Prison and instructed the prison to transfer patients to other state hospitals. White inmates were transferred to the State Hospital at Raleigh (Dix Hill), while Black inmates were transferred to the State Hospital at Goldsboro. Each ward was able to accommodate 150 patients. This was to ensure the patients received adequate care in a facility designed for that purpose and to relieve overcrowding at the prison.

<gallery>
File:SPR 1900.png|State Prison at Raleigh, circa 1900. The State Hospital for the Dangerous Insane would have been the large four-story structure located at the far right.
File:SPR 1910.png|State Prison at Raleigh postcard, circa 1910s.
File:SPR Sanborn.png|Sanborn Map of State Prison at Raleigh, 1914.
</gallery>

[[Category:North Carolina]]
[[Category:Demolished Institution]]
[[Category:Single Building Institutions]]
[[Category:Institution for Criminally Insane]]

File:SPR 1900.png

2023-09-29T18:16:29Z

Mkkelly89:

File:SPR 1910s.png

2023-09-29T18:15:20Z

Mkkelly89:

Sullivan County Farm

2023-09-26T18:47:06Z

Mkkelly89: Created page with "{{infobox institution | name = Sullivan County Poor Farm | image = Sullivan 1903.png | image_size = 250px | established = 1867 | current_status = Demolished Institution|Demo..."

{{infobox institution
| name = Sullivan County Poor Farm
| image = Sullivan 1903.png
| image_size = 250px
| established = 1867
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Pre-1854 Institutions]]
| location = Unity, NH
*Sullivan County Almshouse and Insane Asylum
*Sullivan County Home
}}

==History==

The Sullivan County Poor Farm began in 1866 when the county purchased 365 acres and its farm buildings in Unity, New Hampshire. The county attempted to refit the existing farm buildings to house the poor and insane, and opened its doors in December 1867.

Reports throughout the early to mid-1880s from the State Board of Health noted that the insane were kept in “miserable pens in the second story of an old shed.” There were four “strong rooms” in the shed that kept the inmates constantly confined. There was no attendant with the specific duty of taking care of the insane and no nightwatchman.

By 1885, a proper building for the insane was erected. This two-story building provided 16 sleeping rooms, two ample sitting rooms, and two bathrooms for the insane. A partition ran through the middle of the building to separate the female ward from the male ward. A later report noted that the current insane were all females and kept constantly confined. There was still no attendant for the asylum, but the Almshouse matron and her daughter would occasionally check in on the patients.

In 1891, the State Board of Health reported on the female patients kept in the asylum. At this time, there were five female patients, three of which had the freedom to roam the building as they pleased while the other two were kept locked in their room. It was noted that those three patients were frightened of the other two. One of the two patients under constant lock and key had “been locked into a close room for years, with no bed, except a mattress and blankets put in at night; no furniture whatever, not even a chair; she wore a print dress not over clean, and went barefooted.” It wasn’t until the county farm hired a female attendant who wished to work in the asylum building and focus her care on the patients there that they began to notice a positive change in the appearance and manner of the patients. The patient now had a clean room that she kept tidy herself. She kept herself clean and neatly dressed. The “change was brought about in a few days by patience and kindness. This instance is given solely to show that even the incurable insane are capable of great improvement through proper influences, and it is a most forcible argument in favor of the better care of the indigent insane.” In the years following the 1891 report, it was favorably noted that “not a patient is under lock and key throughout the day. Some of the patients that were formerly kept locked up now have their liberty almost entirely unrestrained. This condition has been brought about by personal interest in the patients and a constant effort to better their condition, the success of which has been very marked.”

The almshouse was a four-story wooden building. The kitchen and shared dining room were located on the first floor, towards the back of the home. The women’s sleeping rooms were located on the second and third floors in the west half of the building, while the men’s sleeping rooms were located on the second, third, and fourth floors of the east half. It wasn’t until 1910 that the Almshouse was fitted with electricity. Not only did the almshouse not have electricity until 1910, there was no modern plumbing or sewage, no hospital rooms, no assembly room or chapel, no sitting rooms for the women, and no sewing room.

By 1910, the insane who required special care and restraint were moved to the State Hospital at Concord. The building was then used as a house of corrections.

Over the years, additional land surrounding the existing poor farm was purchased to expand the property. In 1931, a new almshouse was built to provide care for those suffering during the Great Depression, and the name was changed to the Sullivan County Home. In 1963, a new hospital was erected on the site. Today, the Sullivan County Nursing Home provides care for the county’s elderly and those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The Sullivan County Department of Corrections has a facility on the ground aimed at rehabilitation and recovery. All that is left of the original buildings is the stonewall that runs along the county road leading to the nursing home and jail.

A small cemetery is located across the road from the current nursing home.

==Further Reading==

For an in-depth history of the Sullivan County Almshouse and a list of those buried at the cemetery, please read Silent Voices from the Past by Sara Poisson, published in 2010.

<gallery>
File:Sullivan 1889.png|Sullivan County Almshouse (A), Insane Asylum (B), Superintendent’s cottage (C), 1889.
File:Sullivan 1903.png|Sullivan County Almshouse, 1903.
File:Sullivan Cemetery.png|Sullivan County Farm Cemetery, present day.
File:Sullivan Dining.png|Almshouse dining room, 1903.
File:Sullivan Today.png|Sullivan County Nursing Home, present day.
</gallery>

File:Sullivan 1903.png

2023-09-26T17:29:48Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Sullivan Dining.png

2023-09-26T17:28:06Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Sullivan Today.png

2023-09-26T17:26:51Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Sullivan Cemetery.png

2023-09-26T17:25:49Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Sullivan 1889.png

2023-09-26T17:24:10Z

Mkkelly89:

Belknap County Farm

2023-09-26T14:38:27Z

Mkkelly89: /* History */

{{infobox institution
| name = Belknap County Poor Farm
| image = Belknap 1900.png
| image_size = 250px
| opened = 1872
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Pre-1854 Plans]]
| location = Laconia, NH
| alternate_names = 
*Belknap County Almshouse, House of Corrections, and Insane Aslyum
*Belknap County Nursing Home
*Belknap County Department of Corrections
}}

==History==

The Belknap County Poor Farm was established in 1872 on 250 acres in Laconia. The Almshouse, jail, barns and necessary agricultural outbuildings were all built of wood. The farm would provide work for the able-bodied poor and prisoners.

The two-story almshouse provided shelter for the county’s poor as well as the superintendent and his family. A poorly built, two-story stone jail stood next door to the almshouse. The first floor housed prisoners, while those deemed “insane” lived on the second floor in cells or “strong rooms.” There were no living spaces or sitting rooms provided for the insane. All of the county’s insane population at this time were sent from the State Hospital at Concord.

By 1884, reports from the State Board of Health repeatedly called for proper housing for both prisoners and the insane. The jail was considered a “disgrace to civilization” as it had no ventilation, was overcrowded, and offered no separation of the sexes. Both prisoners and the insane were denied proper meals, clean water, and fresh air.

Two years later a new jail house was built on the county poor farm. This new brick structure was reinforced with railroad iron that would prevent anyone from escaping by breaking through the brick walls. The jail included 16 cells. At this time, an addition was put onto the Almshouse, providing two jail cells for female prisoners, two hospital rooms, and a large room to be used as a chapel and schoolroom. The new jail was connected to the almshouse by a covered walkway.

An 1889 report from the State Board of Health noted that there was still no separate ward for the county’s insane. The insane were allowed to mingle with the other inmates, “with the exception of one or two cases which are kept in confinement.” It had been suggested, again, that separate rooms or a separate wing be provided for the insane and that the “county at once provide better quarters for the detention of the violent insane.” The solution was to house the “demented insane” in three rooms in the attic of the almshouse. Again, the State Board of Health asked the county commissioners to erect a separate building for the insane. Their 1892 report noted “these [attic] rooms are not suitable for any class of the insane.”

By 1894, the insane were moved to an existing building on the poor farm that housed the laundry. They were forced to live in ten rooms fitted into the attic.

It seems that at some point between the 1894 report and a 1907 report stating that the insane had been moved to the State Hospital, a separate two-story brick building was erected to house the insane. There were eight rooms on the first floor, along with a separate bath and toilet rooms. The second floor also contained eight rooms.

The Almshouse in the early 1900s, however, was adequately designed to house and care for the county’s poor. Another wing had been added by this time. The east wing was for male inmates, while the west wing housed female inmates. On the first floor of the almshouse was the Superintendent’s sitting room, dining room, reception room, and office. Behind the Superintendent’s rooms was the female dining room. The Superintendent and his family lived on the second floor of the main building. On the first floor of the west wing was the male dining room, a few sleeping rooms, and a large smoking room. A piazza was added along the length of the wing. The majority of male inmates slept on the second floor. The female wing was laid out similarly. The kitchen, boiler room, and laundry were located in the basement. The building formerly used to house the insane now held prisoners in the basement, with the upper floors providing ample hospital rooms for the infirm.

By the 1960’s, the county began selling off parcels of the county farm. A more modern nursing facility and jail were built. While the original almshouse building no longer stands, parts of the 1890s brick jail are still in use by the current house of corrections.

A small county cemetery, called Primrose Cemetery, is located nearby the current Belknap County Nursing Home. The dates on the tombstones range from 1875-1891. The headstones are numbered, but little is known about who is buried at each plot.

<gallery>
File:Belknap 1889.png|Belknap County Almshouse, 1889.
File:Belknap 1900.png|Belknap County Poor Farm (left to right: House of Corrections, Almshouse showing women’s wing in back, barns), 1900.
File:Belknap back.png|Back of the Almshouse, showing two brick structures: Building for Insane (left) and House of Corrections (right), 1900.
File:Belknap Cemetery.png|Numbered gravestones at Primrose Cemetery, the county cemetery, present day.
File:Belknap Dining.png|Male dining room in Almshouse, 1900.
File:Belknap Insane.png|Men’s ward, Building for Insane, 1900.
File:Belknap Kitchen.png|Kitchen in basement of Almshouse, 1900.
File:Belknap Jail.png|Inside Belknap House of Corrections, 1900.
</gallery>

File:Belknap Cemetery.png

2023-09-26T14:37:26Z

Mkkelly89:

Belknap County Farm

2023-09-26T14:36:58Z

Mkkelly89: /* History */

{{infobox institution
| name = Belknap County Poor Farm
| image = Belknap 1900.png
| image_size = 250px
| opened = 1872
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Pre-1854 Plans]]
| location = Laconia, NH
| alternate_names = 
*Belknap County Almshouse, House of Corrections, and Insane Aslyum
*Belknap County Nursing Home
*Belknap County Department of Corrections
}}

==History==

The Belknap County Poor Farm was established in 1872 on 250 acres in Laconia. The Almshouse, jail, barns and necessary agricultural outbuildings were all built of wood. The farm would provide work for the able-bodied poor and prisoners.

The two-story almshouse provided shelter for the county’s poor as well as the superintendent and his family. A poorly built, two-story stone jail stood next door to the almshouse. The first floor housed prisoners, while those deemed “insane” lived on the second floor in cells or “strong rooms.” There were no living spaces or sitting rooms provided for the insane. All of the county’s insane population at this time were sent from the State Hospital at Concord.

By 1884, reports from the State Board of Health repeatedly called for proper housing for both prisoners and the insane. The jail was considered a “disgrace to civilization” as it had no ventilation, was overcrowded, and offered no separation of the sexes. Both prisoners and the insane were denied proper meals, clean water, and fresh air.

Two years later a new jail house was built on the county poor farm. This new brick structure was reinforced with railroad iron that would prevent anyone from escaping by breaking through the brick walls. The jail included 16 cells. At this time, an addition was put onto the Almshouse, providing two jail cells for female prisoners, two hospital rooms, and a large room to be used as a chapel and schoolroom. The new jail was connected to the almshouse by a covered walkway.

An 1889 report from the State Board of Health noted that there was still no separate ward for the county’s insane. The insane were allowed to mingle with the other inmates, “with the exception of one or two cases which are kept in confinement.” It had been suggested, again, that separate rooms or a separate wing be provided for the insane and that the “county at once provide better quarters for the detention of the violent insane.” The solution was to house the “demented insane” in three rooms in the attic of the almshouse. Again, the State Board of Health asked the county commissioners to erect a separate building for the insane. Their 1892 report noted “these [attic] rooms are not suitable for any class of the insane.”

By 1894, the insane were moved to an existing building on the poor farm that housed the laundry. They were forced to live in ten rooms fitted into the attic.

It seems that at some point between the 1894 report and a 1907 report stating that the insane had been moved to the State Hospital, a separate two-story brick building was erected to house the insane. There were eight rooms on the first floor, along with a separate bath and toilet rooms. The second floor also contained eight rooms.

The Almshouse in the early 1900s, however, was adequately designed to house and care for the county’s poor. Another wing had been added by this time. The east wing was for male inmates, while the west wing housed female inmates. On the first floor of the almshouse was the Superintendent’s sitting room, dining room, reception room, and office. Behind the Superintendent’s rooms was the female dining room. The Superintendent and his family lived on the second floor of the main building. On the first floor of the west wing was the male dining room, a few sleeping rooms, and a large smoking room. A piazza was added along the length of the wing. The majority of male inmates slept on the second floor. The female wing was laid out similarly. The kitchen, boiler room, and laundry were located in the basement. The building formerly used to house the insane now held prisoners in the basement, with the upper floors providing ample hospital rooms for the infirm.

By the 1960’s, the county began selling off parcels of the county farm. A more modern nursing facility and jail were built. While the original almshouse building no longer stands, parts of the 1890s brick jail are still in use by the current house of corrections.

A small county cemetery, called Primrose Cemetery, is located nearby the current Belknap County Nursing Home. The dates on the tombstones range from 1875-1891. The headstones are numbered, but little is known about who is buried at each plot.

<gallery>
File:Belknap 1889.png|Belknap County Almshouse, 1889.
File:Belknap 1900.png|Belknap County Poor Farm (left to right: House of Corrections, Almshouse showing women’s wing in back, barns), 1900.
File:Belknap back.png|Back of the Almshouse, showing two brick structures: Building for Insane (left) and House of Corrections (right), 1900.
File:Belknap Cemetery .png|Numbered gravestones at Primrose Cemetery, the county cemetery, present day.
File:Belknap Dining.png|Male dining room in Almshouse, 1900.
File:Belknap Insane.png|Men’s ward, Building for Insane, 1900.
File:Belknap Kitchen.png|Kitchen in basement of Almshouse, 1900.
File:Belknap Jail.png|Inside Belknap House of Corrections, 1900.
</gallery>

Belknap County Farm

2023-09-26T14:36:21Z

Mkkelly89: Created page with "{{infobox institution | name = Belknap County Poor Farm | image = Belknap 1900.png | image_size = 250px | opened = 1872 | current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]..."

{{infobox institution
| name = Belknap County Poor Farm
| image = Belknap 1900.png
| image_size = 250px
| opened = 1872
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Pre-1854 Plans]]
| location = Laconia, NH
| alternate_names = 
*Belknap County Almshouse, House of Corrections, and Insane Aslyum
*Belknap County Nursing Home
*Belknap County Department of Corrections
}}

==History==

The Belknap County Poor Farm was established in 1872 on 250 acres in Laconia. The Almshouse, jail, barns and necessary agricultural outbuildings were all built of wood. The farm would provide work for the able-bodied poor and prisoners.

The two-story almshouse provided shelter for the county’s poor as well as the superintendent and his family. A poorly built, two-story stone jail stood next door to the almshouse. The first floor housed prisoners, while those deemed “insane” lived on the second floor in cells or “strong rooms.” There were no living spaces or sitting rooms provided for the insane. All of the county’s insane population at this time were sent from the State Hospital at Concord.

By 1884, reports from the State Board of Health repeatedly called for proper housing for both prisoners and the insane. The jail was considered a “disgrace to civilization” as it had no ventilation, was overcrowded, and offered no separation of the sexes. Both prisoners and the insane were denied proper meals, clean water, and fresh air.

Two years later a new jail house was built on the county poor farm. This new brick structure was reinforced with railroad iron that would prevent anyone from escaping by breaking through the brick walls. The jail included 16 cells. At this time, an addition was put onto the Almshouse, providing two jail cells for female prisoners, two hospital rooms, and a large room to be used as a chapel and schoolroom. The new jail was connected to the almshouse by a covered walkway.

An 1889 report from the State Board of Health noted that there was still no separate ward for the county’s insane. The insane were allowed to mingle with the other inmates, “with the exception of one or two cases which are kept in confinement.” It had been suggested, again, that separate rooms or a separate wing be provided for the insane and that the “county at once provide better quarters for the detention of the violent insane.” The solution was to house the “demented insane” in three rooms in the attic of the almshouse. Again, the State Board of Health asked the county commissioners to erect a separate building for the insane. Their 1892 report noted “these [attic] rooms are not suitable for any class of the insane.”

By 1894, the insane were moved to an existing building on the poor farm that housed the laundry. They were forced to live in ten rooms fitted into the attic.

It seems that at some point between the 1894 report and a 1907 report stating that the insane had been moved to the State Hospital, a separate two-story brick building was erected to house the insane. There were eight rooms on the first floor, along with a separate bath and toilet rooms. The second floor also contained eight rooms.

The Almshouse in the early 1900s, however, was adequately designed to house and care for the county’s poor. Another wing had been added by this time. The east wing was for male inmates, while the west wing housed female inmates. On the first floor of the almshouse was the Superintendent’s sitting room, dining room, reception room, and office. Behind the Superintendent’s rooms was the female dining room. The Superintendent and his family lived on the second floor of the main building. On the first floor of the west wing was the male dining room, a few sleeping rooms, and a large smoking room. A piazza was added along the length of the wing. The majority of male inmates slept on the second floor. The female wing was laid out similarly. The kitchen, boiler room, and laundry were located in the basement. The building formerly used to house the insane now held prisoners in the basement, with the upper floors providing ample hospital rooms for the infirm.

By the 1960’s, the county began selling off parcels of the county farm. A more modern nursing facility and jail were built. While the original almshouse building no longer stands, parts of the 1890s brick jail are still in use by the current house of corrections.

A small county cemetery, called Primrose Cemetery, is located nearby the current Belknap County Nursing Home. The dates on the tombstones range from 1875-1891. The headstones are numbered, but little is known about who is buried at each plot.

<gallery>
File:Belknap 1889.png|Belknap County Almshouse, 1889.
File:Belknap 1900.png|Belknap County Poor Farm (left to right: House of Corrections, Almshouse showing women’s wing in back, barns), 1900.
File:.Belknap back.png|Back of the Almshouse, showing two brick structures: Building for Insane (left) and House of Corrections (right), 1900.
File:Belknap Cemetery.png|Numbered gravestones at Primrose Cemetery, the county cemetery, present day.
File:Belknap Dining.png|Male dining room in Almshouse, 1900.
File:Belknap Insane.png|Men’s ward, Building for Insane, 1900.
File:Belknap Kitchen.png|Kitchen in basement of Almshouse, 1900.
File:Belknap Jail.png|Inside Belknap House of Corrections, 1900.
</gallery>

File:Belknap 1900.png

2023-09-26T14:22:28Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Belknap Kitchen.png

2023-09-26T14:21:36Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Belknap 1889.png

2023-09-26T14:19:26Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Belknap Dining.png

2023-09-26T14:18:43Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Belknap back.png

2023-09-26T14:17:17Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Belknap Insane.png

2023-09-26T14:16:18Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Belknap Jail.png

2023-09-26T14:14:44Z

Mkkelly89:

New Hampshire

2023-09-25T17:41:59Z

Mkkelly89: /* County Asylums */

{{infobox state
| Name = New Hampshire
| flag = 660px-Flag_of_New_Hampshire.svg.png
| flagAlt = Flag of New Hampshire
| seal = 258px-Seal_of_New_Hampshire.svg.png
| sealAlt = Seal of New Hampshire
| Motto = Live Free or Die
| Map = 286px-Map_of_USA_NH.svg.png
| MapAlt =
| Nickname = The Granite State
| Capital = Concord
| LargestCity = Manchester
| Total_Area_mile = 9,350
| Total_Area_km = 24,217
| Width_mile = 68
| Width_km = 110
| Length_mile = 190
| Length_km = 305
| total_state_population = 1,326,813 (2014 est)
| total_mh_inpatient_pop =
| year_past_peak_pop =
| past_mh_inpatient_pop =
| total_number_mental_health_institutions =
| current_number_public_institutions =
| current_number_private_institutions =
| year_peak_mh_institutions =
| peak_mh_institutions =
| year_peak_state_hospitals =
| peak_state_hospitals =
| year_peak_state_schools =
| peak_state_schools =
| year_peak_private_mental_hospitals =
| peak_private_mental_hospitals =
}}

== State Hospital ==

* [[Concord State Hospital]]
* [[Optima Psychiatric Institute]]

== State Schools ==

* [[Laconia State School]]

==Private Institutions==
* [[Sidis Psychotherapeutic Institute]]

==Reform Schools==
* [[New Hampshire State Industrial School]]

==County Asylums==
* [[Carroll County Almshouse]]
* [[Grafton County Farm]]
* [[Hillsborough County Farm]]
* [[Merrimack County Farm]]
* [[Rockingham County Farm]]
* [[Strafford County Farm]]
* [[Sullivan County Farm]]
* [[Coös County Farm]]
* [[Cheshire County Farm]]
* [[Belknap County Farm]]

== Sanitarium ==

* [[Glencliff State Sanatorium]]
* [[Pembroke Sanatorium]]

[[Category:United States of America]]

Coös County Farm

2023-09-25T14:49:08Z

Mkkelly89: /* History */

{{infobox institution
| name = Coös County Poor Farm
| image = Coos Farm.png
| image_size = 250px
| alt =
| caption =
| established = 1866
| closed = 2011
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Single Building Institutions|Single Building]]
| location = West Stewartstown, NH
| alternate_names = 
*Coös County Almshouse
*Coös County Aslyum
*Coös County House of Correction
*Coös County Nursing Hospital
}}

==History==

In November 1866, Coös County purchased the Isiah Pickard farm on the banks of the Connecticut River to establish the county’s poor farm, using the existing farmhouse buildings to house the poor, insane, prisoners. In 1867, a three-story addition to the original farmhouse was completed to create the Almshouse, with the capacity for 100-120 people.

The poor farm sat on 575 acres, land that provided work and food for the inmates. The Superintendent’s residence, Almshouse, and the building used for the insane were connected and form a long row of wooden buildings. Various barns, carriage houses, and agricultural outbuildings scattered the farmland.

The Almshouse eventually grew to four-stories, with the east half being occupied by women and west by men. There were separate dining rooms for each sex, and a large women’s sitting room, which was also used as an assembly room for religious meetings. There was also a school room for children, though reports state that any orphans were eventually transferred to the Orphan’s Home at Franklin.

The county’s insane were kept in a separate building, west of the Almshouse. The building was one-story, long, “old and wholly unfit for the confinement of the insane,” said a report in 1889. The ward contained 14 small rooms or cells, some of which are only 5 ft x 8 ft and 9 ft high. “The county should provide better quarters, especially for the better class of its insane. These rooms are suitable, perhaps, for the confinement of some of the worst patients that come to an institution of this character, but they do not possess the conditions necessary to health or comfort.” A later report in 1891 stated, “The old building in which the violent insane have been confined for several years, still remains in practically the same condition as heretofore. It is an entirely worthless building.” Finally, in 1899 a new building was erected for the county’s insane. There were 24 rooms on the first and second floors and four additional rooms in an attic that “might be used in case of necessity.” The building was connected to the Almshouse by a covered walkway.

In 1901, a report noted the poor farm was severely understaffed and struggling to provide care for its 77 inmates. Two assistants helped the Superintendent, one was to look after the prisoners while the other looked after the farm. There was one nightwatchman. A matron and her two female assistants were responsible for the female population on the farm. In the insane department, one of the female patients who was “subject to periodical attacks of acute mania but perfectly sane in the intervals” had charge of the other female patients. It was noted that in the men’s insane building, one male patient “who is at times very dangerous, sometimes taking an axe and threatening every one, while at other times he is perfectly harmless…should be closely watched all the time in a way that is almost impossible to manage in a county institution.”

By 1911, all of the insane patients had been transferred to the State Hospital at Concord, and the building formerly used for the insane now housed the male poor. The House of Corrections, a one story building and completely separate from the main Almshouse buildings, kept male prisoners in its eight cells. Female prisoners were kept in the Almshouse.

In 1930, new hospital was built. The first and second floors were used as a residential facility for the poor and the top floor provided a 35-bed general hospital.

By the 1970s, the hospital operation was phased out and the County converted the building into an 82-bed intermediate care facility. The 1930s hospital building is still used and is now known as Coös County Nursing Hospital. Next door is the Coös County Department of Corrections. None of the original wooden buildings stand today.

<gallery>
File:Coos 1889.png|Coös County Almshouse, 1889.
File:Coos Farm.png|Coös County Poor Farm, from left to right: barns, Superintendent's home, Almshouse, Building for Insane, 1900.
File:Coos Jail.png|Coös County House of Correction, 1900.
File:Coos Farm 2.png|Another view of the poor farm, 1900.
File:Coos Dining.png|Almshouse dining room, 1900.
File:Coos Dorm.png|Dormitory in House of Correction, 1900.
File:Coos Jail Cells.png|Jail cells in House of Correction, 1900.
File:Coos Hospital.png|Coös County Hospital, the original 1930s building, present day.
File:Coos Monument Close.png|Monument at the Coös County Almshouse Cemetery.
</gallery>

Coös County Farm

2023-09-25T14:48:45Z

Mkkelly89: Created page with "{{infobox institution | name = Coös County Poor Farm | image = Coos Farm.png | image_size = 250px | alt = | caption = | established = 1866 | closed = 2011 | current_status..."

{{infobox institution
| name = Coös County Poor Farm
| image = Coos Farm.png
| image_size = 250px
| alt =
| caption =
| established = 1866
| closed = 2011
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Single Building Institutions|Single Building]]
| location = West Stewartstown, NH
| alternate_names = 
*Coös County Almshouse
*Coös County Aslyum
*Coös County House of Correction
*Coös County Nursing Hospital
}}

==History==

In November 1866, Coös County purchased the Isiah Pickard farm on the banks of the Connecticut River to establish the county’s poor farm, using the existing farmhouse buildings to house the poor, insane, prisoners. In 1867, a three-story addition to the original farmhouse was completed to create the Almshouse, with the capacity for 100-120 people.

The poor farm sat on 575 acres, land that provided work and food for the inmates. The Superintendent’s residence, Almshouse, and the building used for the insane were connected and form a long row of wooden buildings. Various barns, carriage houses, and agricultural outbuildings scattered the farmland.

The Almshouse eventually grew to four-stories, with the east half being occupied by women and west by men. There were separate dining rooms for each sex, and a large women’s sitting room, which was also used as an assembly room for religious meetings. There was also a school room for children, though reports state that any orphans were eventually transferred to the Orphan’s Home at Franklin.

The county’s insane were kept in a separate building, west of the Almshouse. The building was one-story, long, “old and wholly unfit for the confinement of the insane,” said a report in 1889. The ward contained 14 small rooms or cells, some of which are only 5 ft x 8 ft and 9 ft high. “The county should provide better quarters, especially for the better class of its insane. These rooms are suitable, perhaps, for the confinement of some of the worst patients that come to an institution of this character, but they do not possess the conditions necessary to health or comfort.” A later report in 1891 stated, “The old building in which the violent insane have been confined for several years, still remains in practically the same condition as heretofore. It is an entirely worthless building.” Finally, in 1899 a new building was erected for the county’s insane. There were 24 rooms on the first and second floors and four additional rooms in an attic that “might be used in case of necessity.” The building was connected to the Almshouse by a covered walkway.

In 1901, a report noted the poor farm was severely understaffed and struggling to provide care for its 77 inmates. Two assistants helped the Superintendent, one was to look after the prisoners while the other looked after the farm. There was one nightwatchman. A matron and her two female assistants were responsible for the female population on the farm. In the insane department, one of the female patients who was “subject to periodical attacks of acute mania but perfectly sane in the intervals” had charge of the other female patients. It was noted that in the men’s insane building, one male patient “who is at times very dangerous, sometimes taking an axe and threatening every one, while at other times he is perfectly harmless…should be closely watched all the time in a way that is almost impossible to manage in a county institution.”

By 1911, all of the insane patients had been transferred to the State Hospital at Concord, and the building formerly used for the insane now housed the male poor. The House of Corrections, a one story building and completely separate from the main Almshouse buildings, kept male prisoners in its eight cells. Female prisoners were kept in the Almshouse.

In 1930, new hospital was built. The first and second floors were used as a residential facility for the poor and the top floor provided a 35-bed general hospital.

By the 1970s, the hospital operation was phased out and the County converted the building into an 82-bed intermediate care facility. The 1930s hospital building is still used and is now known as Coös County Nursing Hospital. Next door is the Coös County Department of Corrections. None of the original wooden buildings stand today.

<gallery>
File:Coos 1889.png|Coös County Almshouse, 1889.
File:Coos Farm.png|Coös County Poor Farm, from left to right: barns, Superintendent's home, Almshouse, Building for Insane, 1900.
File:Coos Jail.png|Coös County House of Correction, 1900.
File:Coos Farm 2.png|Another view of the poor farm, 1900.
File:Coos Dining.png|Almshouse dining room, 1900.
File:Coos Dorm.png|Dormitory in House of Correction, 1900.
File:Coos Jail Cells.png|Jail cells in House of Correction, 1900.
File:Coos Hospital.png|Coös County Hospital, the original 1930s building, present day.
File:Coos Monument.png|Monument at the Coös County Almshouse Cemetery.
</gallery>

New Hampshire

2023-09-25T14:39:46Z

Mkkelly89: /* County Asylums */

{{infobox state
| Name = New Hampshire
| flag = 660px-Flag_of_New_Hampshire.svg.png
| flagAlt = Flag of New Hampshire
| seal = 258px-Seal_of_New_Hampshire.svg.png
| sealAlt = Seal of New Hampshire
| Motto = Live Free or Die
| Map = 286px-Map_of_USA_NH.svg.png
| MapAlt =
| Nickname = The Granite State
| Capital = Concord
| LargestCity = Manchester
| Total_Area_mile = 9,350
| Total_Area_km = 24,217
| Width_mile = 68
| Width_km = 110
| Length_mile = 190
| Length_km = 305
| total_state_population = 1,326,813 (2014 est)
| total_mh_inpatient_pop =
| year_past_peak_pop =
| past_mh_inpatient_pop =
| total_number_mental_health_institutions =
| current_number_public_institutions =
| current_number_private_institutions =
| year_peak_mh_institutions =
| peak_mh_institutions =
| year_peak_state_hospitals =
| peak_state_hospitals =
| year_peak_state_schools =
| peak_state_schools =
| year_peak_private_mental_hospitals =
| peak_private_mental_hospitals =
}}

== State Hospital ==

* [[Concord State Hospital]]
* [[Optima Psychiatric Institute]]

== State Schools ==

* [[Laconia State School]]

==Private Institutions==
* [[Sidis Psychotherapeutic Institute]]

==Reform Schools==
* [[New Hampshire State Industrial School]]

==County Asylums==
* [[Carroll County Almshouse]]
* [[Grafton County Farm]]
* [[Hillsborough County Farm]]
* [[Merrimack County Farm]]
* [[Rockingham County Farm]]
* [[Strafford County Farm]]
* [[Sullivan County Farm]]
* [[Coös County Farm]]
* [[Cheshire County Farm]]

== Sanitarium ==

* [[Glencliff State Sanatorium]]
* [[Pembroke Sanatorium]]

[[Category:United States of America]]

File:Coos Monument Close.png

2023-09-25T14:38:41Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos Farm.png

2023-09-25T14:36:44Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos Jail.png

2023-09-25T14:35:29Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos Dining.png

2023-09-25T14:33:48Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos Hospital.png

2023-09-25T14:32:18Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos Farm 2.png

2023-09-25T14:31:14Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos Jail Cells.png

2023-09-25T14:30:22Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos Dorm.png

2023-09-25T14:26:52Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Coos 1889.png

2023-09-25T14:26:23Z

Mkkelly89:

Cheshire County Farm

2023-09-22T17:22:05Z

Mkkelly89: Created page with "{{infobox institution | name = Cheshire County Almshouse | image = Cheshire .png | image_size = 250px | established = 1866 | current_status = Demolished Institution|Demolis..."

{{infobox institution
| name = Cheshire County Almshouse
| image = Cheshire .png
| image_size = 250px
| established = 1866
| current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]]
| building_style = [[Cottage Plan Institutions|Cottage Plan]]
| architect(s) =
| location = Westmoreland, NH
*Cheshire County Poor Farm
*Cheshire County Almshouse and Insane Asylum
*Cheshire County House of Corrections
*Cheshire County Hospital and Nursing Home
}}

==History==

The Cheshire County Poor Farm was established in 1866 on the banks of the Connecticut River in Westmoreland, New Hampshire on 300 acres. The Almshouse was built in 1867 out of brick, and was intendent to house both the poor and criminals. The Superintendent’s House, of wood, was built directly next to the Almshouse.

As described in an 1889 report, the first floor of the Almshouse, or Main House, housed the kitchen and separate dining and sitting rooms for the male and female inmates. The second story housed female inmates in two large sleeping rooms, one with eight beds and six in the other. In the third story, on the female side, are the chapel and several sleeping rooms. On the opposite side were the men’s sleeping rooms. On the fourth floor are eleven sleeping rooms, originally designed for prisoners, but since the construction of a county jail at Keene, they have been used mostly for sleeping rooms by the inmates. Attic rooms were reserved for prisoners.

In the same report, it was noted that “very few insane inmates, incurable cases” were housed in the second story of the ell of the Main House. This addition included six rooms, about 8 feet x 10 feet, with one “good-sized” window protected by an iron screen. Some insane patients lived in the laundry house, a small, one story wooden structure that sat behind the Main House. In the 1889 report, “a partially demented man suffering with some form of chronic disease” was found living in a corner room in the laundry building – “This was a bad and offensive case, but the quarters in which he was located seemed scarcely suitable, notwithstanding the circumstances of the case.” It was recommended that a separate building for the incurable insane be built, along with a new laundry house.

In 1891, the new laundry house was built, which also continued to provide additional rooms for the insane. There were three rooms on the first floor for the insane. On the second floor there were six rooms, and was connected to the Main House by a covered walkway. It was still reported that there was not adequate housing for the county’s insane.

By 1897, two insane buildings were constructed, one for males and the other for females. At this time, there were only seven male insane patients, all seven of them were “constantly confined.” There were 19 female insane patients. The female building was considered a “model of its kind” with 28 rooms, 12 on each floor and four additional rooms in the attic for the “worst cases.” The attic also housed the asylum’s chapel.

By 1901, a jail had been erected on the poor farm property. The Building for Insane Females was considered far superior than the Building for the Insane Men. It was reported that “the worst cases of the feeble-minded [men] are kept out of doors in summer, where they have air and sunlight, while yet under restraint.”

Like with the other county insane asylums at the turn of the century, insane patients slowly began to be transferred to the State Hospital at Concord for care. In 1911, there were only three male insane patients, noted as being the “most demented,” left at the Cheshire County farm. However, it seems that female patients continued to be housed at the farm. The 1911 report notes that females who were “not very excitable” were kept on the first and second floors of the insane building, “while those who are violent are provided with rooms especially fitted for them on the third floor.” As the population of insane males declined, “helpless invalids” were moved into the male insane building on the first floor. The second floor contained prisoners sent to the county farm. A small building was also erected in the early 1900s to care for tuberculosis patients.

With a new and far more adequate prison established in Keene, the Cheshire County Farm focused its care on the poor and infirm. Over the years, the original buildings were demolished and a more modern county hospital and nursing home were built. Those buildings were ordered to close in 1954 due to inadequate care and supervision.

Today, a nursing home and assisted living facility sit on the site of the former almshouse and insane buildings. The farm still produces crops as well as dairy, which still provides food for the nursing home and the new House of Corrections in Marlborough.

==Cemetery==

The first cemetery for the Cheshire County Farm was established in 1867 on Old Ferry Road. A monument was erected in 1873. Below the simple obelisk is a simple plaque that reads “Known but to God.” The exact number of burials is unknown due to lost records.

Cemetery #2, which was south of the barns, was established sometime after 1910. Graves were marked with iron pins, topped with an oval disk on which was inscribed a number. Record of the corresponding names have been lost. These pins have been pulled up and the cemetery is now overgrown.

For a partial list of burials for both Cemetery #1 and Cemetery #2, visit https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ashes_to_Ashes_Dust_to_Dust/pWMjAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=cheshire+county+almshouse,+nh&pg=PA221&printsec=frontcover

<gallery>
File:Cheshire .png|Cheshire County Almshouse (from left to right: Superintendent’s house, ell for Insane Inmates, main Almshouse), circa 1900
File:Cheshire Alms.png|Cheshire Almshouse, colorized.
File:Chesire Insane Female.png|Building for Insane Women, circa 1900.
File:Cheshire Insane Men.png|Building for Insane Men (left), Laundry (right), which was also used to house insane men, circa 1900.
File:Cheshire Dining.png|Dining Room – Building for Insane Women, circa 1900
File:Cheshire Sitting Room.png|Women’s sitting room, Almshouse, circa 1900.
File:Cheshire Sitting Room 2.png|Another view of the women’s sitting room, Almshouse, circa 1900.
File:Cheshire Monument.png|Monument erected for Cheshire’s poor at Cemetery #1.
File:Pauper Grave Marker.png|Pauper grave marker at Cheshire County’s cemeteries.
</gallery>

New Hampshire

2023-09-21T19:33:00Z

Mkkelly89: /* County Asylums */

{{infobox state
| Name = New Hampshire
| flag = 660px-Flag_of_New_Hampshire.svg.png
| flagAlt = Flag of New Hampshire
| seal = 258px-Seal_of_New_Hampshire.svg.png
| sealAlt = Seal of New Hampshire
| Motto = Live Free or Die
| Map = 286px-Map_of_USA_NH.svg.png
| MapAlt =
| Nickname = The Granite State
| Capital = Concord
| LargestCity = Manchester
| Total_Area_mile = 9,350
| Total_Area_km = 24,217
| Width_mile = 68
| Width_km = 110
| Length_mile = 190
| Length_km = 305
| total_state_population = 1,326,813 (2014 est)
| total_mh_inpatient_pop =
| year_past_peak_pop =
| past_mh_inpatient_pop =
| total_number_mental_health_institutions =
| current_number_public_institutions =
| current_number_private_institutions =
| year_peak_mh_institutions =
| peak_mh_institutions =
| year_peak_state_hospitals =
| peak_state_hospitals =
| year_peak_state_schools =
| peak_state_schools =
| year_peak_private_mental_hospitals =
| peak_private_mental_hospitals =
}}

== State Hospital ==

* [[Concord State Hospital]]
* [[Optima Psychiatric Institute]]

== State Schools ==

* [[Laconia State School]]

==Private Institutions==
* [[Sidis Psychotherapeutic Institute]]

==Reform Schools==
* [[New Hampshire State Industrial School]]

==County Asylums==
* [[Carroll County Almshouse]]
* [[Grafton County Farm]]
* [[Hillsborough County Farm]]
* [[Merrimack County Farm]]
* [[Rockingham County Farm]]
* [[Strafford County Farm]]
* [[Sullivan County Farm]]
* [[Coos County Farm]]
* [[Cheshire County Farm]]

== Sanitarium ==

* [[Glencliff State Sanatorium]]
* [[Pembroke Sanatorium]]

[[Category:United States of America]]

File:Pauper Grave Marker.png

2023-09-21T19:32:20Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire Monument.png

2023-09-21T19:32:05Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Chesire Insane Female.png

2023-09-14T16:14:16Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire .png

2023-09-14T16:13:31Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire Sitting Room.png

2023-09-14T16:11:24Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire Insane Men.png

2023-09-14T16:10:39Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire Sitting Room 2.png

2023-09-14T16:09:40Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire Dining.png

2023-09-14T16:09:00Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire Alms.png

2023-09-14T16:08:37Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Cheshire 1889.png

2023-09-14T16:08:06Z

Mkkelly89:

Strafford County Farm

2023-09-12T17:07:23Z

Mkkelly89:

{{infobox institution
| name = Strafford County Farm
| image = Strafford Alms.png
| image_size = 250px
| established = 1867
| built = Almshouse – 1881, House of Correction – 1907
| current_status = [[Preserved Institution|Preserved]]
| building_style = [[Pavilion Plan Institutions|Pavilion Plan]]
| architect(s) = F.N. Footman (Almshouse), G. Brown (House of Correction)
| location = Dover, NH
| architecture_style = Classic Revival
*Strafford County Almshouse
*Strafford County House of Corrections
}}

==History==

Strafford County purchased two farms totaling 290 acres to establish the county’s almshouse, house of correction, and insane asylum. The poor farm included the main almshouse, blacksmith’s shop, carpenter shop, slaughterhouse, and other farm outbuildings. Those who were able to work did so on the farm and provided as much as 90% of the farm’s labor.

The Almshouse building was made of brick and three-stories, with a full basement and attic, in a U-shape floorplan, similar in design to the Merrimack County Almshouse. It was designed by F.N. Footman and built by Fall and Moulton. The almshouse was built to house 250-300 people. The main block housed the superintendent and administrative offices. Each wing housed the poor, separated by gender. Each wing included its own hospital room. The original construction included cells in the basement to contain inmates accused of misdemeanors.

In 1881, a fire broke out in the Almshouse as a result of an overheated furnace. Thirteen of the 169 inmates died, including two children who were living in the attic.

After the fire, a separate ward was eventually built to house children. A school room was then established in the main building.

The Almshouse’s appearance remained relatively untouched until 1964 when a new kitchen and dining room were built in the back, connecting the two wings. In 1970, a new nursing home was built in front of the original Almshouse building.

The Insane Asylum was a two-story wooden building, an attic, and a connecting two-story ell. The first floor housed the asylum keeper and his family, along with 17 inmates. The second floor house 29 inmates, and eight inmates in the attic. There was an outdoor area for the inmates, surrounded by a 10-12 foot wooden fence. Each window in the asylum was barred, and some had heavy wire screening. An 1889 report noted the building was “very cheaply and poorly constructed, and is not suitable for an insane asylum…The institution needs quite extensive repairing.”

On the night of February 9, 1893, the nightwatchman was making his 10pm rounds when he noticed a fire in one of the inmate’s rooms. It was believed the inmate had started the fire with a match, as they were readily available to inmates who smoked. The fire spread rapidly, and the nightwatchman only managed to save a few. Forty of the 44 inmates died and the building was left to burn.

As a result of the fire, a hearing with the State Board of Health to determine the cause and who would be held accountable for the loss of life and asylum building. County officials had been warned previously of the danger of fires and the necessity for proper fire prevention, but those warnings went unnoticed. The result of the investigation found that the “system for caring for the county insane was in the same in all counties, differing only in some minor details. The system was the outgrowth of a forced necessity, the guiding principle of which was to house, clothe, and feed the incurable insane at the smallest possible expense to the county. The result of this investigation had the effect on the next legislature to enact a law abolishing all of these county insane asylums, and the State assumed the entire support, control and management of the insane, and the county asylums were abolished.” It was decided that the county insane would no longer be housed at the county farms. Inmates deemed “incurable” would be moved to the State Hospital at Concord. The asylum building at Stafford County was never rebuilt.

In 1907, a separate House of Corrections was built after it was decided that the prison inmates should not be housed in the same building as the poor. The two-and-a-half story brick building was built behind the Almshouse. It was designed by G. Brown and built by Herman Lord. The Administrative portion is separated from the prisoner’s quarters by a heavy brick wall and steel door. . Leading from the dining room are a smoking room, barber shop, and lavatories. Bathroom with seven shower stalls. From the dining room extends a tunnel to the kitchen of the main almshouse through which the prisoners’ meals are sent. The prison cells consist of two tiers of double cells, 24 cells in a tier, thus accommodating 96 prisoners. Three tiers in original design. The tunnels were blocked off sometime in the 1940s.

==Present Day==

The original Almshouse, House of Corrections, boiler room and its 60 foot smokestack, and laundry room are all preserved and on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings are now used as a nursing home and county offices.

<gallery>
File:Strafford 1889.png|Strafford County Almshouse (A) and Insane Asylum (B), 1889.
File:Strafford Alms.png|Strafford County Almshouse, 1900.
File:Strafford Barns.png|Agricultural buildings at Strafford County Farm, 1900.
File:Strafford County Jail.png|Strafford County House of Corrections, 1900.
File:Strafford County Jail Cell.png|Cells inside the Strafford House of Corrections, 1900.
File:Stafford Jail.png|Another photograph showing the cells within the House of Corrections, 1900.
File:Strafford Sleeping Rooms.png|Sleeping rooms in the Almshouse, 1900.
File:Strafford Stone.png|Original stone sign for the Strafford County Farm.
File:Strafford Today.png|The Strafford County Almshouse, present day.
</gallery>

Strafford County Farm

2023-09-12T17:06:13Z

Mkkelly89: Created page with "{{infobox institution | name = Strafford County Farm | image = Strafford Alms.png | image_size = 250px | established = 1867 | built = Almshouse – 1881, House of Correction..."

{{infobox institution
| name = Strafford County Farm
| image = Strafford Alms.png
| image_size = 250px
| established = 1867
| built = Almshouse – 1881, House of Correction – 1907
| current_status = [[Preserved Institution|Preserved]]
| building_style = [[Pavilion Plan Institutions|Pavilion Plan]]
| architect(s) = F.N. Footman (Almshouse), G. Brown (House of Correction)
| location = Dover, NH
| architecture_style = Classic Revival
*Strafford County Almshouse
*Strafford County House of Corrections
}}

==History==

Strafford County purchased two farms totaling 290 acres to establish the county’s almshouse, house of correction, and insane asylum. The poor farm included the main almshouse, blacksmith’s shop, carpenter shop, slaughterhouse, and other farm outbuildings. Those who were able to work did so on the farm and provided as much as 90% of the farm’s labor.

The Almshouse building was made of brick and three-stories, with a full basement and attic, in a U-shape floorplan, similar in design to the Merrimack County Almshouse. It was designed by F.N. Footman and built by Fall and Moulton. The almshouse was built to house 250-300 people. The main block housed the superintendent and administrative offices. Each wing housed the poor, separated by gender. Each wing included its own hospital room. The original construction included cells in the basement to contain inmates accused of misdemeanors.

In 1881, a fire broke out in the Almshouse as a result of an overheated furnace. Thirteen of the 169 inmates died, including two children who were living in the attic.

After the fire, a separate ward was eventually built to house children. A school room was then established in the main building.

The Almshouse’s appearance remained relatively untouched until 1964 when a new kitchen and dining room were built in the back, connecting the two wings. In 1970, a new nursing home was built in front of the original Almshouse building.

The Insane Asylum was a two-story wooden building, an attic, and a connecting two-story ell. The first floor housed the asylum keeper and his family, along with 17 inmates. The second floor house 29 inmates, and eight inmates in the attic. There was an outdoor area for the inmates, surrounded by a 10-12 foot wooden fence. Each window in the asylum was barred, and some had heavy wire screening. An 1889 report noted the building was “very cheaply and poorly constructed, and is not suitable for an insane asylum…The institution needs quite extensive repairing.”

On the night of February 9, 1893, the nightwatchman was making his 10pm rounds when he noticed a fire in one of the inmate’s rooms. It was believed the inmate had started the fire with a match, as they were readily available to inmates who smoked. The fire spread rapidly, and the nightwatchman only managed to save a few. Forty of the 44 inmates died and the building was left to burn.

As a result of the fire, a hearing with the State Board of Health to determine the cause and who would be held accountable for the loss of life and asylum building. County officials had been warned previously of the danger of fires and the necessity for proper fire prevention, but those warnings went unnoticed. The result of the investigation found that the “system for caring for the county insane was in the same in all counties, differing only in some minor details. The system was the outgrowth of a forced necessity, the guiding principle of which was to house, clothe, and feed the incurable insane at the smallest possible expense to the county. The result of this investigation had the effect on the next legislature to enact a law abolishing all of these county insane asylums, and the State assumed the entire support, control and management of the insane, and the county asylums were abolished.” It was decided that the county insane would no longer be housed at the county farms. Inmates deemed “incurable” would be moved to the State Hospital at Concord. The asylum building at Stafford County was never rebuilt.

In 1907, a separate House of Corrections was built after it was decided that the prison inmates should not be housed in the same building as the poor. The two-and-a-half story brick building was built behind the Almshouse. It was designed by G. Brown and built by Herman Lord. The Administrative portion is separated from the prisoner’s quarters by a heavy brick wall and steel door. . Leading from the dining room are a smoking room, barber shop, and lavatories. Bathroom with seven shower stalls. From the dining room extends a tunnel to the kitchen of the main almshouse through which the prisoners’ meals are sent. The prison cells consist of two tiers of double cells, 24 cells in a tier, thus accommodating 96 prisoners. Three tiers in original design. The tunnels were blocked off sometime in the 1940s.

==Present Day==

The original Almshouse, House of Corrections, boiler room and its 60 foot smokestack, and laundry room are all preserved and on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings are now used as a nursing home and county offices.

<gallery>
File:Strafford 1889.png|Strafford County Almshouse (A) and Insane Asylum (B), 1889.
File:Strafford Alms.png|Strafford County Almshouse, 1900.
File:Strafford Barns.png|Agricultural buildings at Strafford County Farm, 1900.
File:Strafford County Jail.png|Strafford County House of Corrections, 1900.
File:Strafford County Jail Cell.png|Cells inside the Strafford House of Corrections, 1900.
File:Strafford Jail.png|Another photograph showing the cells within the House of Corrections, 1900.
File:Strafford Sleeping Rooms.png|Sleeping rooms in the Almshouse, 1900.
File:Strafford Stone.png|Original stone sign for the Strafford County Farm.
File:Strafford Today.png|The Strafford County Almshouse, present day.
</gallery>

File:Strafford 1889.png

2023-09-12T17:04:18Z

Mkkelly89:

File:Strafford Stone.png

2023-09-12T17:03:51Z

Mkkelly89: