Difference between revisions of "Saline County Poor Farm"
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Latest revision as of 23:03, 4 February 2025
| Saline County Poor Farm | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1877 |
| Closed | 1952 |
| Current Status | Preserved |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Location | Harrisburg, IL |
| Alternate Names |
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History
Built in 1877 with an addition in 1904 was the effort of the culture of that era to take care of the poor. This farm originally containing 175 acres under the Almshouse Law using log buildings for many years until the brick building was constructed. The idealistic notion, that people would gladly work for their subsistence, soon met reality. The poor farm became an orphanage, a jail, an insane asylum, and a place for refugees, i.e. a social dumping ground for the outcast and deplored. There have been at least two occasions in its history when the county considered demolition because of the poor condition of the building. The farm ceased operation sometime after 1950.
