Poughkeepsie City Almshouse
| Poughkeepsie City Almshouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Opened | 1863 |
| Closed | 1872 |
| Current Status | Preserved |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Architect(s) | J. A. Wood |
| Location | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| Architecture Style | Italianate |
| Alternate Names |
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History
In 1863, the City of Poughkeepsie purchased the old County Poorhouse, which was located on Maple Street and had been in operation since the 1830’s. The county and the city decided to separate their poor populations, as Poughkeepsie generally had a higher population of people in need than the rest of the towns and villages of the county. By the time the city took over the old building, it was not in the best condition. On February 7, 1868 a fire broke out in the old structure. No one was hurt during the fire, and the city wasted no time in requesting money from the insurance company and gathering what funds they had available for the construction of a new almshouse. They turned to one of the area's new young architects, Mr. J. A. Wood
The main center of the building contained the office on the first level and the men’s ward on the second and third floors. The women’s ward was on the first and second floors of the east wing, and on the west wing was the Superintendent’s personal residence. The kitchen and dining hall were located in the basement. Within a year of the opening, more buildings were added to the campus, including a separate laundry house and an additional wing towards the rear of the property, which had another male and female ward. In 1907, the infirmary was added to the property with the financial assistance of William Smith. Percival Lloyd designed a lovely building in the colonial revival style. Then, in 1936, an addition was added thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and the Public Works Administration, or PWA.
By the 1950’s, the property became known as the City Home Welfare Department, and was eventually closed down in the early 1970’s. For a while it sat, abandoned and very much neglected, until it was purchased from the city by the Boston Investment and Development Company in the 1980’s. An agreement was made between the city and the firm to allow for the Poughkeepsie Public Library District to operate a north end branch, which operated during the 1990’s. The majority of the property is currently used as Section 8 housing and affordable senior housing.
