Sauk County Poor Farm and Insane Asylum
| Sauk County Poor Farm and Insane Asylum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Construction Began | 1886 |
| Opened | 1887 |
| Closed | 2009 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Location | Reedsburg, WI |
| Alternate Names |
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History
Since 1871, when rolling hills and farm land were first purchased for the purpose of establishing a Sauk County "Poor Farm" the valuable history has been providing care and services for people in need. The brick insane asylum structure (40 by 60 feet, two stories and a basement) was constructed in 1886, and the first admissions were five patients at the beginning of 1887. In 1918, the capacity of the asylum was 100, of which most were from Sauk County. Throughout the years, whether it be managing a smallpox epidemic (1904), running an intensive treatment unit for emotionally disturbed and alcoholic patients (1967), or developing an Alzheimer's unit (1996) dedicated employees have consistently given of their combined knowledge, skills, and efforts towards developing and growing a care centered environment for Sauk County citizens.
Despite a number of additions and updates over the years, the Health Care Center was simply unable to accommodate modern health care needs. In October of 2008 ground was broken for a new state of the art facility on the west side of Reedsburg featuring all private rooms and restrooms. One year later 82 residents were moved to their new home. Today, the County Farm is under the oversight of the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment (LRE) Department and Board of Supervisors, with the Land Conservation Division overseeing most of the property’s management and the Parks and Recreation Division providing maintenance for the historic fire house and the Sauk county Cemetery.
