391:
427:
415:
157:
403:
379:
367:
355:
451:
235:
36:
439:
716:
the introduction of alternative forms of social assistance, its function shifted to the care of the elderly and infirmed and additions were built to respond to their special needs. Closed in 1971, this building, and its history, illustrate the
Victorian roots of the 20th-century social security system in Canada.
338:
was opened in 1877 and, over the years, housed approximately 1500 deserving poor, including those who were destitute, old and infirm, or disabled. The 60-bed house for inmates was surrounded by a 30-acre industrial farm with a barn for livestock that produced some of the food for the 70 residents and
715:
This is the earliest surviving example of an important 19th century institution, the government-supported poorhouse. Erected in 1877, it was the shelter of last resort for the homeless and destitute, who traded spartan accommodations for domestic or agricultural labour. With changing attitudes and
650:
The House of
Industry and the Bank Barn were built in 1877. The House of Industry and Refuge or "Poor House" provided a home for the "deserving poor" of Wellington County. The Barn and Industrial Farm were an important part of the House. The Farm grew produce and livestock to feed the inmates
339:
the staff and also provided work for them. Others worked in the House itself. A hospital was added in 1892. The nearby cemetery has 271 plots. In 1947, the House was converted into a home for the aged and in 1975 the building reopened as the
Wellington County Museum and Archives, one of the
269:
Most were working farms that produced at least some of the produce, grain, and livestock they consumed. Residents were expected to provide labor to the extent that their health would allow, both in the fields and in providing housekeeping and care for other residents. Rules were strict and
326:, "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". The oldest government-supported facility of this type that is still standing (now a museum), is located in the Southwestern-Ontarian hamlet of Aboyne between the larger, nearby communities of
390:
426:
291:
took effect in 1935, with most disappearing completely by about 1950. Since the 1970s, funding for the care, well-being and safety of the poor and indigent is now split among county, state and federal resources. Poor farms have been replaced by
188:, each parish would maintain its own workhouse; often these would be simple farms with the occupants dividing their time between working the farm and being employed on maintaining local roads and other parish works. An example of one such is
651:(residents) and staff at the House. The Farm also provided work or "industry" for the inmates. In the 19th century, Industrial Farms were a vital part of public institutions like hospitals, prisons, asylums and Houses of Refuge.
414:
273:
Poor farms were based on the U.S. tradition of county governments (rather than cities, townships, or state or federal governments) providing social services for the needy within their borders. Following the 1854 veto of the
266:- or town-run residences where paupers (mainly elderly and disabled people) were supported at public expense. They were generally under the direction of one or more elected or appointed "Superintendent of the Poor."
226:
passed this act to attempt to cut expenditure on those in poverty, reduce the number of beggars on the street, and inspire lower-class people to work harder in order to better provide for themselves.
664:
540:
402:
601:
335:
366:
634:
275:
156:
378:
216:. At many workhouses, men and women were split up with no communication between them. Furthermore, these workhouse systems were instituted under the
836:
569:
354:
624:"The Bank Barn and the Industrial Farm at the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge 1877-1947 - The House of Industry and Industrial Farm"
293:
672:
189:
510:
450:
789:
747:
532:
765:
340:
119:
805:
733:
57:
820:
263:
100:
702:
592:
258:
on which able-bodied residents were required to work. A poorhouse could even be part of the same economic complex as a
218:
72:
779:
254:, poorhouses were most common during the 19th and early 20th centuries. They were often situated on the grounds of a
238:
53:
46:
79:
623:
841:
86:
695:"Historical Plaques of Wellington County - Plaque 17, The Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge"
561:
68:
851:
846:
301:
287:
213:
774:- Life in a County Poorhouse, with a foreword by Theodore Dreiser. New York: Bony & Liveright.
320:, the poorhouse, with an attached farm, was the favoured model. According to a 2009 report by the
477:
472:
223:
438:
234:
785:
761:
743:
305:
185:
502:
856:
482:
297:
327:
279:
201:
331:
93:
830:
806:
Jack London's firsthand account of life and poorhouses in the 1902 East End of London
251:
193:
322:
209:
145:
282:, the federal government did not participate in social welfare for over 70 years.
739:
259:
205:
35:
815:
694:
467:
181:
17:
197:
177:
173:
165:
735:
In the Shadow Of the
Poorhouse: A Social History Of Welfare In America
148:) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy.
317:
141:
756:
Rothman, David J., (editor). "The
Almshouse Experience", in series
262:
and other penal or charitable public institutions. Poor farms were
233:
169:
155:
212:
regime giving manual work to the indigent and subjecting them to
810:
29:
533:"Poorhouses Were Designed to Punish People for Their Poverty"
200:), poverty was seen as a dishonourable state. As depicted by
665:"Meet the ghosts of Wellington County's Poor House in Elora"
184:" has been the more common term. Before the introduction of
432:
Murals in workroom of the New York City Farm Colony, 1938
811:
Workhouses in and around Bures, Suffolk, by Alan Beales
420:
New York City Farm Colony "inmates" at meal time, 1904
396:
Concrete Sewer Blocks made at the
Halifax Poor Asylum
160:
People queuing at S. Marylebone workhouse circa 1900
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
591:
372:Male Pauper Barracks in St. Louis Poor House,1904
360:Women and children in St. Louis Poor House, 1904
781:The Poorhouse: America's Forgotten Institution
336:Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge
285:The poor farms declined in the U.S. after the
823:/ by Kansas Emergency Relief Committee (1935)
816:McLean County, Illinois Poor Farm Finding Aid
8:
593:"When 'poorhouse' wasn't only an expression"
276:Bill for the Benefit of the Indigent Insane
663:Fergus-Elora News Express (July 5, 2016).
384:German Poor house, 1854 - The Garden Arbor
27:Facility providing housing for poor people
633:. Wellington County, Ontario. June 2013.
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
699:Historical Plaques of Wellington County
494:
350:
640:from the original on February 25, 2021
758:Poverty U.S.A.: The Historical Record
705:from the original on January 12, 2017
631:Wellington County Museum and Archives
208:, often housing whole families, or a
7:
531:Blakemore, Erin (January 30, 2018).
58:adding citations to reliable sources
671:. Hamilton, Ontario. Archived from
604:from the original on March 14, 2017
140:is a government-run (usually by a
25:
590:Tyler, Tracey (January 3, 2009).
456:Five Nations Poor House, ca. 1918
341:National Historic Sites of Canada
449:
437:
425:
413:
408:Russian Poor house, Unknown date
401:
389:
377:
365:
353:
34:
837:Poor Law in Britain and Ireland
572:from the original on 2020-11-12
543:from the original on 2021-04-21
513:from the original on 2012-01-03
204:, a workhouse could resemble a
45:needs additional citations for
1:
192:in East Sussex. In the early
821:A study of Kansas poor farms
784:. Rowman & Littlefield.
219:Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
873:
241:in Virginia, United States
239:Frederick County Poor Farm
732:Katz, Michael B. (1996).
503:"Poorhouses in Scotland"
270:accommodations minimal.
298:public housing projects
778:Wagner, David (2005).
242:
161:
770:Sweeney, Ed. (1927).
566:The National Archives
237:
159:
701:. Wayne Cook. 2015.
54:improve this article
444:Women in Poor House
288:Social Security Act
214:physical punishment
478:Scottish poorhouse
473:Low income housing
294:subsidized housing
243:
224:The United Kingdom
162:
772:Poorhouse Sweeney
306:homeless shelters
130:
129:
122:
104:
16:(Redirected from
864:
795:
753:
719:
718:
712:
710:
691:
685:
684:
682:
680:
675:on July 21, 2018
660:
654:
653:
647:
645:
639:
628:
620:
614:
613:
611:
609:
595:
587:
581:
580:
578:
577:
558:
552:
551:
549:
548:
528:
522:
521:
519:
518:
499:
483:Homeless shelter
453:
441:
429:
417:
405:
393:
381:
369:
357:
125:
118:
114:
111:
105:
103:
62:
38:
30:
21:
872:
871:
867:
866:
865:
863:
862:
861:
827:
826:
802:
792:
777:
750:
731:
728:
726:Further reading
723:
722:
708:
706:
693:
692:
688:
678:
676:
662:
661:
657:
643:
641:
637:
626:
622:
621:
617:
607:
605:
589:
588:
584:
575:
573:
562:"1834 Poor Law"
560:
559:
555:
546:
544:
530:
529:
525:
516:
514:
501:
500:
496:
491:
464:
457:
454:
445:
442:
433:
430:
421:
418:
409:
406:
397:
394:
385:
382:
373:
370:
361:
358:
349:
314:
280:Franklin Pierce
248:
232:
202:Charles Dickens
154:
126:
115:
109:
106:
63:
61:
51:
39:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
870:
868:
860:
859:
854:
849:
844:
842:Public housing
839:
829:
828:
825:
824:
818:
813:
808:
801:
800:External links
798:
797:
796:
791:978-0742529458
790:
775:
768:
754:
749:978-0465032105
748:
727:
724:
721:
720:
686:
655:
615:
582:
553:
523:
493:
492:
490:
487:
486:
485:
480:
475:
470:
463:
460:
459:
458:
455:
448:
446:
443:
436:
434:
431:
424:
422:
419:
412:
410:
407:
400:
398:
395:
388:
386:
383:
376:
374:
371:
364:
362:
359:
352:
348:
345:
313:
310:
247:
244:
231:
228:
153:
150:
128:
127:
42:
40:
33:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
869:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
834:
832:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
803:
799:
793:
787:
783:
782:
776:
773:
769:
767:
766:0-405-03092-4
763:
759:
755:
751:
745:
741:
737:
736:
730:
729:
725:
717:
704:
700:
696:
690:
687:
674:
670:
666:
659:
656:
652:
636:
632:
625:
619:
616:
603:
599:
594:
586:
583:
571:
567:
563:
557:
554:
542:
538:
534:
527:
524:
512:
508:
507:The Workhouse
504:
498:
495:
488:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
465:
461:
452:
447:
440:
435:
428:
423:
416:
411:
404:
399:
392:
387:
380:
375:
368:
363:
356:
351:
346:
344:
342:
337:
333:
329:
325:
324:
319:
311:
309:
307:
304:housing and
303:
299:
295:
290:
289:
283:
281:
277:
271:
267:
265:
261:
257:
253:
252:United States
246:United States
245:
240:
236:
229:
227:
225:
221:
220:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
194:Victorian era
191:
187:
186:the Poor Laws
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
158:
151:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
124:
121:
113:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71: –
70:
66:
65:Find sources:
59:
55:
49:
48:
43:This article
41:
37:
32:
31:
19:
780:
771:
757:
738:. New York:
734:
714:
707:. Retrieved
698:
689:
677:. Retrieved
673:the original
668:
658:
649:
642:. Retrieved
630:
618:
606:. Retrieved
598:Toronto Star
597:
585:
574:. Retrieved
565:
556:
545:. Retrieved
536:
526:
515:. Retrieved
506:
497:
323:Toronto Star
321:
315:
286:
284:
272:
268:
255:
249:
217:
210:penal labour
190:Strand House
176:(but not in
163:
146:municipality
137:
133:
131:
116:
107:
97:
90:
83:
76:
64:
52:Please help
47:verification
44:
740:Basic Books
600:. Toronto.
260:prison farm
206:reformatory
69:"Poorhouse"
852:Workhouses
847:Poor farms
831:Categories
576:2020-11-19
547:2021-04-21
517:2011-12-13
489:References
230:Poor farms
152:Workhouses
110:March 2011
80:newspapers
18:Poor-house
709:March 13,
679:March 13,
669:Spectator
644:March 13,
608:March 13,
468:Almshouse
302:Section 8
256:poor farm
182:workhouse
138:workhouse
134:poorhouse
760:, 1971.
703:Archived
635:Archived
602:Archived
570:Archived
541:Archived
511:Archived
462:See also
296:such as
198:Poor Law
178:Scotland
857:Poverty
537:HISTORY
347:Gallery
250:In the
174:Ireland
166:England
94:scholar
788:
764:
746:
334:. The
328:Fergus
318:Canada
312:Canada
264:county
142:county
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
638:(PDF)
627:(PDF)
332:Elora
196:(see
170:Wales
101:JSTOR
87:books
786:ISBN
762:ISBN
744:ISBN
711:2017
681:2017
646:2017
610:2017
330:and
180:), "
172:and
73:news
316:In
278:by
164:In
144:or
136:or
56:by
833::
742:.
713:.
697:.
667:.
648:.
629:.
596:.
568:.
564:.
539:.
535:.
509:.
505:.
343:.
308:.
300:,
222::
168:,
132:A
794:.
752:.
683:.
612:.
579:.
550:.
520:.
123:)
117:(
112:)
108:(
98:·
91:·
84:·
77:·
50:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
