Delaware County Infirmary
| Delaware County Infirmary | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1851 |
| Opened | 1920 (rebuilt) |
| Closed | 1987 |
| Demolished | 1996 (original structure) |
| Current Status | Active |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Location | Muncie, IN |
| Alternate Names |
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History
In Delaware County, commissioners in 1851 purchased several acres of land in Liberty Township to establish the Delaware County Alms House, a working farm providing shelter for those with no place to go. Known by many names, but most often as the Delaware County Infirmary and colloquially as the Poor Farm. As many as 170 people lived in the home in the early decades of the 20th century. They included not only the poor and mentally ill but those who had been injured in accidents, suffered from arthritis or syphilis and, in one case, a woman who had given birth to eight illegitimate children.
On March 23, 1915, the Delaware County Infirmary burned. Although many of the home’s residents escaped the blaze, 13 did not. Newspaper accounts that at least some of them were locked inside the building as it burned.
The county closed the facility in the 1980s. Today the site is home to Willowbend Living Center and the Delaware County Highway Engineer. The Infirmary was situated halfway between Muncie and Selma, just north of what is now East Jackson/SR 32, but known around 1900 as Selma Pike.
Images of Delaware County Infirmary
Main Image Gallery: Delaware County Infirmary
