POORHOUSE aka ALMSHOUSE
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POORHOUSE STORY
The care of the poor received attention
at an early date in our history, and overseers were appointed in each
township, who had power to levy a tax upon the inhabitants for their
support. These overseers were two in number, and were appointed
annually on the 25th of March. There were often disputes as to the
legal residence of the persons needing relief, and to define what
constituted a residence an act was passed May 31, 1718, which, among other
things, contained the following curious clauses:
"That every each Person as from the Twenty Fourth Day of June, in
this present Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighteen, shall be upon
the Collection, and Receive Relief of any County, City or Place, and the
Wife and Children of any such Person cohabiting in the same House (such
Child only excepted as shall be by the Overseers of the Poor permitted to
live at House, in order to have the Care of, and attend any impotent and
helpless Parent) shall, upon the Shoulder of the right Sleeve of the upper
Garment of every such Person, in an open and visible manner, wear such
Badge or Mark as is hereinafter mentioned and expressed, That is to say, a
large Roman (P) together with the first Letter of the Name of the County,
City or Place whereof such Person is an Inhabitant, cut either in red or
blue Cloth, as by the Overseers of the Poor it shall be directed or
appointed.
"And if any such poor Person shall at any Time neglect or refuse to
wear such Badge or Mark as aforesaid, and in manner aforesaid, it shall
and may be lawful for any Justice of the Peace of the County, City or
Place where any such Offence shall be committed, upon Complaint to him for
that Purpose made, to punish every such Offender for every such Offence,
either by ordering of his or her Relief, or usual Allowance on the
Collection, to be abridged, suspended or withdrawn; or otherwise by
committing such Offender to the House of Correction there to be whipped
and kept at hard Labour for any Number of Days not exceeding
Twenty-one, as to the said Justice should seem meet."
The frequent disputes between the different townships as to which was
entitled to support certain paupers, and the inconvenience of maintaining
them in private families, at length led to the establishment of an
institution supported by the whole county. Among the papers of our
court are filed numerous depositions of paupers, recounting the various
places at which they had lived, which were taken to show their legal
residence.
On the 27th of February, 1798, was passed, "An Act to provide for the
erection of Houses for the employment and support of the Poor in the
Counties of Chester and Lancaster," and providing for the election of
six directors, two of whom should be retired annually, to be succeeded by
others. The commissions appointed by this act to carry it into
execution in this county were Joshua Ashbridge, Edward Darlington, Moses
Marshall, Robert Miller, John Davis, John Rinehart, James M. Gibbons,
Samuel Carter, and James Johnson. Edward Darlington was a prominent
and efficient member of this commission, and it is said that on coming to
the present site he put down his foot emphatically, and declared it to be
the most suitable place they could find. Prior to this, however, an
election was held, in October, 1798, by which six directors were elected
by the following votes:
Edward Darlington, 3971; Ephraim
Wilson, 2901; Joseph Cope, 2747; David Denny, 2617; William Trimble,
2490; Arthur Andrews, 2380.
These met at the court-house, November
5th, and by lot divided into three classes, the first to serve one year,
the second two years, etc. On the next day they accompanied the
commissioners to several places, but came to no conclusion. On the
21st, the commissioners having viewed Stephen Harlan's place, in West
Bradford, and five of them having agreed upon it, Edward Darlington and
Joseph Cope were authorized to purchase it. The deed was dated Dec.
10, 1798, and the price 3000 (pounds); but Deborah Harlan, wife of
Stephen, did not sign until March 1, 1799, which she did upon receiving
$30. The farm contained 325-1/2 acres, with an allowance of six per
cent, for roads, as was then usual, 20-1/2 acres of which lay in the
township of Newlin. The land is of good quality naturally, and its
situation in the basin of the west branch of the Brandywine is one of the
most beautiful in the county.
Some estimates and plans were made and examined, but nothing more done
until March 2, 1799, when the directors visited the poor-house at
Wilmington to get some measurements. Joshua Weaver, who had been
appointed clerk to the board February 20th, prepared specifications.
The building was let to William Hawley, March 11th, at $5925, and the
contract signed on the 19th. Joseph Cope and Ephraim Wilson were
directed to lay out the site and have charged till May court.
December 17th it was agreed to sell a tan-yard and some land at the
northwest part of the property. This was offered at public sale Feb.
19, 1800, but not sold.
March 3d, it was agreed that Cope, Wilson and John Marshall (a new
director) should have care of disposing of the farm for another year,
agreeing with a superintendent, etc. On the 18th they agreed
with John Gibbons to superintend the poor for one year, to have $200, and
be found in board and washing, and to have a horse kept on the place; also
with Caleb Townsend, to work the farm, board the superintendent, with some
privileges, for $380.
October 18th, at Isaac Webb's; present, Denny, Trimble, Andrews, and
Marshall;
"and agreed to take in the Poor into the Poor House the 12th and
thirteenth days of next month, & sent notices as many as was
convenient overseers to bring them in."
11, 12, 1800, met at the poor house, pursuant to adjournment; present,
Joseph Cope, David Denny, John Marshall, Arthur Andrews, and Nathaniel
Walker, and received the poor from nineteen townships. N. Walker
went home in the evening. The other four remained the next day, and
received the poor from most of the other townships; also laid off a
graveyard next to Joel Harlan's line.
11, 19, met at West Chester, and agreed that three directors should meet
at the poor-house once a month,-three one month and the others the
next,--to begin on the "first Second-day" in next month.
The numbers brought in from the different townships were as follows:
Birmingham, 2; East Bradford, 2; West Bradford, 5; Brandywine, 1; East
Caln, 2; West Caln, 1; Coventry, 1; Charlestown, 1; Easttown, 2; East
Fallowfield, 1; West Fallowfield, 5; Goshen and West Chester, 8;
Honeybrook, 3; Kennet, 3; Londongrove, 3; Londonderry, 5; East
Marlborough, 7; West Marlborough, 4; Newlin, 1; New London, 2; New Garden,
6; East Nantmeal, 3; West Nantmeal, 1; West Nottingham, 2; U. Uxford, 1;
Pikeland, 1; Sadsbury, 2; Tredyffrin, 3; Thornbury, 2; Uwchlan, 5;
Vincent, 6; Westtown, 1; Willistown, 1; East Whiteland, 1.
The whole number was 94, of whom 1 was one hundred and three, 1
ninety-eight, and 16 from eighty to eighty-nine years of age.
In 1801 the tan-yard and 45-1/4 acres were sold to Joshua Smith. 6,
1, 1801, Jaocb Miller, a pauper, informs he has a pension of 15 (pounds)
per annum; was in Fifth Regiment, John Christie and Caleb North captains;
in 1779 entered Invalid Regiment, Capt. John McGowan. William
Hemphill attended 5, 3, 1802 and was paid $80 for legal advice for one
year. 8, 2, 1802, Dr. Jacob Ehrenzeller attended with his accounts,
and recommended Dr. James Gibbons as his successor. It is agreed to
build a barn, the present one not being large enough. Next day Moses
Hickman's barn viewed, but too small. Joseph Cope and Joshua Weaver
to prepare a plan. 9, 6, a plan produced for barn 100 by 40
feet. David Haines, carpenter, and Nathaniel Hoskins, mason,
attended to give information. 10, 4, Joseph Cope and David Denny
appointed to procure a seal for the institution. The pay of
directors appears to be $20 per annum, and $ 1.50 per day, with expenses,
for extra services. In 1811 a hospital was built, James Henderson,
of Goshen, carpenter, William Quay, mason and James Pyle, plasterer.
In 1812, the treasurer is discontinued, and orders hereafter to be drawn
on county treasurer. Joshua Weaver appointed assistant
steward. From this time the county treasurer generally attended the
meetings of the board until about twenty years ago. Physicians were
employed by the year, as also legal counsel, at various sums for
salary. In 1827, Joshua Weaver died, having been clerk for
twenty-nine years. In 1868 it was concluded to divide the duties of
a steward and appoint a resident physician , to take charge of the paupers
and all parts of the ground and buildings occupied by them. This
arrangement lasted but one year, but no regular minutes were kept from
that time until 1879. The meetings of the board of directors are now
semi-monthly, instead of monthly, as they had been up to 1868.
Among those brought to the institution when it was first opened were Bryan
McGittigan, aged eighty-six years, and Samuel Thomas, aged eight months,
both from East Caln. The last named was found by the side of the
turnpike, soon after birth, in March, 1800, and was given the name of
Samuel Thomas, but was better known, through-out the neighborhood in
after-years as Sam Turnpike. After more than fourscore years he
again finds refuge in the home of his infancy.
From the historical notes of Joseph J. Lewis, Esq., prepared in 1824, the
following table of statistics is taken:
[Years; Males; Females; Total; Expenditures]
1799; --; --; --; $ 6853.32
1800; --; --; --; 9240.00
1801; --; --; --; 6984.31
1802; --; --; --; 4187.34
1803; --; --; --; 4923.90
1804; --; --; --; 5760.32
1805; 39; 36; 75; 3913.04
1806; 52; 37; 89; 1306.62
1807; 56; 47; 93; 4634.45
1808; 53; 47; 100; 6152.44
1809; 52; 59; 111; 5924.29
1810; 60; 54; 114; 6776.70
1811; 66; 50; 116; 5395.34
1812; 62; 50; 112; 5666.18
1813; 77; 58; 135; 6913.68
1814; 66; 57; 128; 5062.49
1815; 77; 58; 135; 5344.42
1816; 96; 98; 194; 7400.72
1817; 94; 98; 192; 8656.34
1818; 103; 83; 186; 8174.07
1819; 112; 107; 219; 7603.82
1820; 120; 103; 223; 8120.64
1821; 120; 89; 209; 6364.74
1822; 143; 137; 280; 7175.58
1823; 163; 138; 301; 9414.60
The first house erected was of brick, about 40 by 100 feet in size, and
stood until 1855, whe it was succeeded by the present structure.
The first steward was unmarried at the time he was appointed and his
salary was less than in after-years, being for the year 1806 $400.
The stewards and matrons, with their salaries, have been as follows:
1800.-- John Gibbons (and wife, Sarah, later)
1807.-- Warwick Martin and wife, Ruth.....$ 400
1813.-- William Strickland and wife.....300
1815.-- Ebenezer Speakman and wife, Lydia.....300
1823.-- Gibbons Gray and wife, Martha.....365
1830.-- William Michener and wife, Rachel.....350
1837.-- William H. Taylor and wife, Sarah.....400
1841.-- Walker Yarnall and wife, Elizabeth.....400
1848.-- Joseph Thompson and wife Elizabeth S.....400
1852.-- Thomas Baker and wife, Ann.....400
1863.-- Wellington C. James and wife, Louisa D.....500
1864.-- Abner Baldwin and wife, Phebe.....500
1866.-- Joshua Wickersham and wife, Amy.....500
1868.-- Joseph B. Clark and wife.....500
1868.-- Dr. William W. Townsend and wife.....700
1869.-- Hayes Conuer and wife, Elizabeth B.....700
The following is a list of the directors, with the dates of their
election:
1798, Edward Darlington (one year), Ephraim Wilson (one year), William
Trimble (two years), Arthur Andrews (two years), Joseph Coope [now Cope],
(three years), David Denny (three years); 1799, Jno. Marshall, Ephraim
Wilson; 1800, Arthur Andrews, Nathaniel Walker; 1801, Joseph Coope, David
Denny; 1802, Samuel Stringfellow, John G. Parke; 1803, James John, Arthur
Andrews; 1804, Robert Lamborn, Philip Fisher; 1805, Joseph Paxson, Jr.,
Samuel Jones; 1806, Randal Malin, James Hayes; 1807, Jas. Smith, Isaac
Bennett; 1808, Jos. Paxon, Jr., Samuel Jones; 1809, Joshua Taylor, Jacob
Neilor; 1810, Nathan Hayes, Amos Darlington; 1811, Hugh Strickland; 1812,
Richard Baker (died 4th month 14, 1814), Amos Darlington (appointed till
election); 1813, Matthew Wilson; 1814, Joshua Peirce (vice Baker, dec'd),
John Buffington; 1815, Joshua Peirce (of Pennsbury); 1816, John Marshall
(of Goshen); 1817, William Bennett; 1818, John Valentine; 1819, Thomas
Hickman, Jr.; 1820, David Hayes; 1821, John Hoopes, Jr.; 1822, John James;
1823, George Gregg; 1824, Jonathan Worrall; 1825, William H. Taylor; 1826,
John P. Hoopes; 1827, Thomas Marshall; 1828, William H. Taylor; 1829,
Philip Umsted; 1830, James Walker; 1831, Alexander Curry; 1832, William
Templeton; 1833, Isaac Evans; 1834, Nathaniel P. Crosby; 1835, James
Davis; 1836, James Powell; 1837, Abraham Ross; 1838, Nathan Dorlan; 1839,
James B. McFarlan; 1840, Emmor Seeds; 1841, Joseph Thompson; 1842, George
B. Matlack; 1843, Jacob Kulp; 1844, James Hayes; 1845, Job Hayes, Jr.;
1846, Benjamin Hartman; 1847, James Fleming; 1848, Jesse James; 1849, John
Zook; 1850, Matthew S. Hamill; 1851, Marshall B. Hickman; 1852, William
Windle; 1853, Enoch Harlan; 1854, Marshall B. Hickman; 1855, Caleb E.
Chambers; 1862, John M. Kelton; 1863, Levi Prizer; 1864, Samuel Wickersham
(died in his third year, Charles W. Roberts appointed July 16, 1867);
1865, Robert L. Walter; 1866, Samuel Butler; 1867, Charles W. Roberts;
1868, Halliday Hoopes; 1869, Samuel Butler; 1870, William H. Dallett;
1871, Bennett S. Walton; 1872, James McFarlan; 1873, William H. Dallett;
1874, Bennett S. Walton; 1878, Caleb Baldwin; 1879, Thomas Millard;
1880, Edwin James* (one year, vice Baldwin, resigned), Milton Conard
(three years).
(*Edwin James had served from March, 1880, by
appointment, in place of Caleb Baldwin, resigned.)
The newly-elected directors took their seats in the board at its
first meeting after the election in October until 1854, after which they
went into office in February.
We will here give some extracts from an editorial in the Daily
Local News, of May, 1873:
"The present board of directors are William H. Dallett, Bennet
S. Walton, and James B. McFarland, Esqs., with Hayes Conner, Esq., as
steward, and his estimable wife, Mrs. Elizabeth B. Conner, as matron, and
Dr. Hopkins, of Marshallton, as attending physician. The main
building is of brick, three stories high, about 140 feet long and 54 feet
deep, with two wings extending in the rear 57 feet by 40 feet wide.
The different floors are divided into 63 rooms, large and small, according
to the purposes to which they are devoted, and a deep, perfectly dry
cellar runs under the whole. The wings are heated by two large
furnaces located in the cellar, the heat being admitted to the various
rooms by improved registers, which can be opened or closed without
entering the rooms. The water supply is one of the finest features
of the institution. It comes by a natural fall from a spring located
in the small hills back of the house, and delivers itself through pipes at
convenient points in every story. In the immediate vicinity of the
main building are smaller ones for the accommodation of the colored men
and women, and a large laundry and drying-house, where, with the excellent
arrangements provided, the largest washings can be dried by steam in two
or three hours. There is also a carpenter and shoemaker shop,
slaughter-house, wagon-house, with a large corn-crib capacity, and a barn,
which is an immense double-floor and double-decker affair, whose
dimensions have outgrown the recollection of the statisticians of the
institution, as additions have been built to it half a dozen times in the
last fifty years, and it is now probably the largest building of the kind
in the county.
"We were shown over the building and introduced to all the
points of interest by the obliging steward. The first department
visited was that occupied by insane males. Of these the great
majority are not dangerous or troublesome, and are allowed to go at
liberty during the day, but there are a few who have to be kept in their
cells, and one was so violent that he had to be chained to the floor,
while another poor fellow kept up an unceasing meaningless dance in his
bare feet around his cell, accompanying it by a wordless song,
interspersed by unearthly yells, in which latter amusement he was ably
assisted by his neighbor of the chain.
"The hospitals are fine, large, well-lighted and ventilated
rooms, where the sick of the institution receive prompt care and careful
nursing. There are two, one for the men and another for the
women. There is also a large and comfortable two-story hospital for
contagious diseases, erected on the hill some distance back of the main
buildings.
"There is a school kept up for the benefit of the children of
the institution, which for the last five years has flourished under the
able management of Miss R. E. Kinsey. Here we found about twenty
bright, intelligent-looking children, from four to nine years old, who
seemed very quiet and attentive. These scholars never get any older
here, for about this time they are adopted out, and leave the poor-house
to make their way in the world for good or ill. Miss Kinsey is a
patient, careful teacher in a particularly thankless situation, and is
deserving of sympathy in her efforts to impart to those forlorn little
waifs knowledge that may be useful in enabling them to avoid the home of
their youth.
"The insane and idiotic females have a department in the west
wing. Most of these are quiet and harmless. One is chained
occasionally, to keep her from running away, while another has a penchant
for beating the children, and has to be watched. One poor creature
stood outside in the yard, with one hand raised, as if to catch a fly,
staring at the black wall within a foot of her nose, and never spoke or
moved a muscle for hours.
"The care of the insane is the most arduous duty connected
with the institution. Many of them are utterly helpless, without any
instinct of order or cleanliness, and have to be waited on like children,
yet their cells and garments are kept clean and fresh, and they are made
in all things as comfortable as their situations will admit.
"In the sewing-room we found a number of women making up clothing for
the inmates, directed by an employed seamstress. In the tailor-shops
some men were at work on clothing for the male inmates, and the
shoemaker-shop keeps up the supply of foot-coverings. One room is
set apart for the use of the physician, and is supplied with a plentiful
stock of drugs and medicines. Another room is filled with the stock
of dry-goods required, and yet another by stores of groceries and other
articles necessary to domestic economy.
"The main kitchen is supplied with a large range and coffee-boiler,
capable of turning out cooked provisions for the family of from two to
three hundred that come daily to the long tables in the
dining-rooms. There are smaller kitchens where the cooking is done
for the hospitals and the children, which latter have a dining room to
themselves. In the cellar is a bake-house, with an oven of large
capacity that turns out bread and pies by wholesale. We examined the
bread and found it of the best quality,-- as good as comes upon any table
in the land. An employed baker has charge of this department, and
everything is clean and neat about it.
"In different parts of the building are sitting-rooms, where the
inmates can assemble for each other's society. That belonging to the
men is called 'Congress Hall' and is doubtless the scene of grave debates
and the adjustment of knotty issues. It has the advantage of better
order than some other legislative halls, and does less harm.
"The whole building and its surroundings is, if possible, clean to a
fault. The floors are scrubbed until they are as white as the deck
of man-of-war, and there is a prevalent sense of fresh whitewash
everywhere.
"The farm, which is also superintended by Mr. Connor, is in a very
productive state, and yields a large percentage of the most important
provisions for the house. This year there are about 35 acres in
wheat, 20 acres in oats, and a proportionate amount in corn; 11 acres in
potatoes, and 4 acres devoted to different kinds of garden truck.
There is also a very fine garden attached to the house, which is kept up
in beautiful style, and promises ample store of strawberries, peas, salad,
onions, and other choice luxuries. The stock consists of 6 horses, 4
yoke of oxen, 21 cows, 17 feeding steers, and 60 hogs.
"The work is done by the able-bodied, inmates, assisted by three
hired men in summer and two in winter. One the property is a quarry
of limestone, where the men are employed in winter as much as possible,
and get out large quantities of stone ready for burning in the
spring. This year the quarry and kiln is run on shares by Geo. W.
Conner, Esq., who expects to turn out about 40,000 bushels of lime, which
is worth from 13 to 20 cents per bushel at the kiln.
"The whole number receiving support during the first quarter, 1873,
was 356, of whom 146 were white male adults, 22 colored male adults, 106
white female adults, 19 colored female adults, and 64 children. Of
the above number 19 are insane, 21 idiots, 3 blind and 1 deaf and
dumb. The average number supported during the first quarter was
316.1.
"The oldest inmate of the almshouse is Ann Miles, who is now in her
eightieth year, and appears quite hearty. She was born in
Downingtown, and is the daughter of James and Ruth Place, who for fifteen
years lived in the tenant-house of Thomas Parker. She was married to
Abram Miles, who, after some five or six years of married life, deserted
her and she became an inmate of the poor-house in 1815, under the
stewardship of Ebenezer Speakman, and has remained, with the exception of
short intervals, ever since.
"In connection with what we have already said, we want to call
attention to a matter that should elicit the help of every citizen of the
county, and that is the need of a library at the poor-house. Some
time ago, through the exertions of a few philanthropic and individuals, a
few books were collected, forming the nucleus of a library in the
school-room, and it is now very desirable to increase the collection so
that it may be useful to the whole institution."
The above information was extracted
from the book,
History of Chester County Pennsylvania; Futhey & Cope; 1881
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