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LOCAL NOTES:
The Rivanna Trail Foundation maintains a trail (Meadow
Creek Headwaters Trail) which passes by the foundation of Albemarle County's
1806 Poor House of Charlottesville.
Franklin County Poor House Directors
(1854-1870)
Map to "Poor Farm Park" --
Ashland [Hanover County] -- Just 20 minutes north of Richmond, VA
on I-95. Get off on the Ashland Exit State Road 54, it is the second 54 exit.
Keep on this road about 5 miles until you see a sign saying and pointing toward
Poor Farm Park. The park is behind Patrick Henry High School's Soccer Field.
Loudoun County Poor House -- Now a Bed
& Breakfast!
(Good history notes included.)
[Here is a little irony! See this advertisement
for the sale of this "12 acres, two period restored houses,
circa 1814, currently a Bed and Breakfast, numerous outbuildings, pond, mountain
views $599,000." PHL ]
"The Almshouse for the city of Norfolk, VA, [Norfolk County]
exists today as Lake Taylor Hospital, a nursing home. This almshouse was
founded in 1885 and moved to it's current location around 1890. I believe
all the original buildings have been demolished. The conversion from a
poor house to a nursing facility began in the 1930's. [There is a little
more information] on the Lake Taylor Hospital website at http://www.laketaylor.org/about_us/our_history.html.
(reader who wishes to remain anonymous)
"The Norfolk County Almhouse
 was
located at Great Bridge, VA on Poor House Road (now Cedar Road). This
facility operated until the 1950's. The City of Chesapeake Civic
Center complex now covers the entire site. Norfolk County is today
the modern City of Chesapeake."
Doug Smith doug.smith54@verizon.net
Darlene Spencer just submitted a great deal of information about the Patrick
County Poorhouse. This included a brief history
as well as census reports and deaths -- which are listed below.
"In Princess
Anne County VA, now the City of Virginia
Beach VA, the almshouse was located somewhere on a tract of land on Poor House
Road, renamed in 1932 Prosperity Road. Today Prosperity Road is home to
Red Wing Park, Red Wing Golf Course, Camp Pendleton and Wadsworth Naval
Housing. I have never seen any pictures of this facility and very little,
if anything, has ever been written. However, anyone familiar with the area
is aware of the ambiguous road designation Prosperity Road."
(reader who wishes to remain anonymous)
"My
oral family history indicates that my Grandfather Mr. John Robert Waite was the
keeper of the poor at his farm near Independent Hill, Prince William County, Virginia in the late 1920s or early 1930s. This was a government
subsidized venture. ' He ran the County Poor Farm.' This land was condemned and
purchased by the Federal Government as part of Prince William Forest Park. I
have been unable to document the Poor Farm portion of this story. Can you point
me in the right direction? Any scrap of information will be most
appreciated."
Joyce
AjoyNva@aol.com
"During the last week of April 1954, the Wise County Board of
Supervisors offered the local country poor farm ... as the location for our
[University of Virginia/Clinch Valley College] , which at the time contained two
sandstone buildings (today named Bowers-Sturgill Hall and Crockett Hall)."
quote from an on-line article (no longer available) titled
"Are UVA-Wise Buildings Actually Haunted?" (We are not
kidding. PHL )
[Note: We understand that Crockett Hall was subsequently closed for
renovation; and we would appreciate updating about the status of this old
poorhouse building. PHL ]
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