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==History==
 
==History==
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The Dearborn County Asylum for the Poor is the third such building in the county. The first county home was built in 1833 on a site in the northwest portion of the county. By 1853, the facility was outdated and over-crowded so it was sold and the current site was purchased. A second home was built in that year. The current building was constructed in 1882 and designed by Alex B. Pattison on 350 acres west of the community of Manchester. The cross plan building is 2 ½ stories and red brick with white trim. An enclosed cupola rises above the roof at the center of the building and houses the original bell. There were originally eight chimneys but only one remains. In total there are 64 rooms that included 38 resident rooms, the superintendent’s residence, kitchen and dining rooms, common rooms, and utilitarian rooms for the running of the facility. Two large meeting rooms are found on the second floor that could be used for a chapel.
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The first Dearborn County Asylum was founded in 1833 on 50 acres in the NW part of the county. Twenty years later it was decided the asylum needed more land and a larger building. In 1882 land was purchased for the new asylum that stands today. The asylum was divided into a men's & women's side, by separate wings.  
  
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At the time of its construction, the Dearborn County Asylum was one of the best facilities in the state. It eventually became almost entirely self-supporting financially. There was originally a large barn on the property for the sheep, dairy and beef cattle, hogs, and horses on the farm. A small grist mill was also used to grind feed for the stock. A small brick building is located a short distance from the main building. It was used to house the few “violently insane” residents.
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Although the majority of the residents were more or less mentally sound, in the early 1900s there were usually 1 or 2 violently insane residents imprisoned in a building described as the "old stone house." Conditions there were described as terrible as it had no plumbing or toilets. It was later referred to as the "smokehouse".
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As time went on, the number of residents dwindled and many of the able-bodied residents left, leaving only the elderly/infirm. Efforts to farm were diminished and much of the acreage was rented to local farmers. Eventually a portion of the land was sold and the majority of the land was allowed to return to forest.  
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The Dearborn County Asylum for the Poor closed in 1980 and the following year Youth Encouragement Services, a foster home facility, moved in.
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The asylum was intended to house up to 50 residents at one time, however it was not unusual for it to be somewhat higher. By the 1900s the majority were elderly, with smaller numbers being deaf, blind or mentally ill. Occasionally they housed orphans on their way to other institutions. Eventually the main purpose was to house impoverished elderly and was known locally as the "old folks home." Mentally ill were no longer kept here by the 1930s as they were sent to state-run facilities.  
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The asylum officially closed in September of 1980 due to a decline in patients and funding. 1 year later, Youth Encouragement Services, Inc(YES) opened in the asylum building. The YES home acts as foster home for minors whose parents are unable to take care of them. The rest of the property has returned to forest while 14% was sold to a farmer. The building is on the National Historic Register.
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Title Image Courtesy of Kayla Hassett <ref>Hassett, Kayla. "The County Home in Indiana : A Forgotten Response to Poverty and Disability." Diss. Ed. Vera A. Adams. Ball State U, 2013. Cardinal Scholar, 05 Apr. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.</ref>
  
 
==Images==
 
==Images==
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