Grant County Asylum
| Grant County Asylum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1865 |
| Demolished | 2000 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Location | Lancaster, WI |
| Alternate Names |
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History
The Grant County Board recognized that there was a need to house and care for the paupers in the community. Before long there were full beds and the needs were being met for the community’s lower income individuals. This is where the name “Poor Farm” began. A few years later, the poor farm was ordered to return its pauper’s to their respective towns as the need for a county insane asylum was in high demand. This is when the name changed from County Poor Farm to The County Home. There were a total of three major fires that burned the buildings completely down. Plans were drawn up after the fire of 1912, and the new structure would be built with every effort to protect against another major disaster.
In the early 1970’s, State Regulation came into effect requiring that all county facilities be converted into nursing homes. Also, in 1973, a contest was held to select a new name for the county home. The name Orchard Manor was selected and with good reason. There once were numerous orchards that covered the farm grounds. This was when the county hospital also became a nursing home and the two were known as Orchard Manor South and Orchard Manor North. On January 26, 1993, residents were moved into the brand new combined building called Orchard Manor. Just weeks after the building was completely finished. It took three full days and double staff to make the move successful.
