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Museum of Seminole History
(formerly the Seminole County Home)
from their website -- see link below |
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HISTORY:
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The following is an excerpt from a U.S. Government REPORT
summarizing various state poor laws in 1904. .
Click on the link above for more information. |
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LOCAL NOTES:
Museum of Seminole (County) History
"The museum is housed in a building that locals called "The
County Home". It is the only "Old Folks Home", still in
existence in Florida. This one of a kind building has become an enduring
part of the history of Seminole County. It was constructed in
1926 when the county was only 12 years old!"
[The building was built in 1927
as the "County Home for the Poor", but the locals called it
the "Old Folks Home."]
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NOTES FROM READERS:
"I was born in a poorhouse -- no kidding! (Actually, I was
born in a hospital, but we were living at the poorhouse.) About 1920, my father
was appointed Superintendent of Hillsborough Co., Fla. Poor
Farm/Poorhouse/County Farm -- know by all those names. I had 4 brothers
and 1 sister. I came along in 1924. (am now 76). The family lived there until
1932. Our home was a 2 story frame house. There were 3 dormitories. [One for
white males, one for black males and a red brick 2-story for females.] Our
family moved inside the city limits then. I was 8 years of age.
Yes, there was a (Paupers) cemetery on the property . There were cement
markers, about 4" X 8" about 10" high. I do
not remember if there were any names. The Hillsborough County Parks Department
is now in charge of all cemeteries/records."
Frank Gray in Thonotosassa, Fla. fnmig@gate.net
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RECORDS:
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CEMETERIES:
"There are over 100 graves in the pauper's cemetery at our Seminole
County Home."
Christine Best [vrbestjr@bellsouth.net]
, Sanford, FL
See NOTES FROM READERS section (above) for notes about Hillsborough
County poorhouse cemetery.
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We are hoping to build this base of information about poorhouses in FLORIDA through the helpful participation of readers. All are requested to submit items of interest by sending e-mail
to The Poorhouse Lady.
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