Sent to the Poorhouse: The Allen and Warren County, Kentucky Poor Farms

My grandmother, a lifelong Warren Countian who died in the same room in which she was born, often spoke of a great-uncle, ‘Tom-Doc.’ Call him what you will, Thomas Benton Greathouse was the family eccentric and/or black sheep. During my childhood, she would point out the location of his shack, on land later owned by her father and then her. The most interesting part of her reminisces about him was his death at the Warren County “poor farm.” His 1920 death certificate confirms he died of cardiac failure and was interred at the County Farm cemetery. Although no formal memorials exist at the Warren County Farm and its location has been all but lost, close to 100 individuals were buried there as evidenced by their death certificates. 

Section of the 1877 Map of Warren County, Kentucky by Beers & Lanagan, showing the location of the “County Alms Houses” designated by white arrow.

The “poorhouse,” also known as county farm, poor farm, and almshouse, sprang up in most if not all of Kentucky’s 120 counties throughout the 19th century. These intuitions no doubt developed from the many social welfare activities in the rapidly industrializing United States. These poorhouses are not to be confused with other mental institutions, prisons, orphanages, and tuberculosis asylums established as private and public ventures throughout the Commonwealth.

Old Allen County Almshouse, date unknown, but likely the early 1930s. Image from Goodman-Paxton Photographic Collection, University of Kentucky.

The 1851/1852 Revised Statutes of Kentucky authorized county governments to purchase or acquire up to 200 acres of land and contract for the erection of a poorhouse to house those unable to take care of themselves through fault of disability, senility, or any number of other reasons.

A circa 1935 image of the new Allen County Almshouse as constructed by the WPA. Photograph from the Goodman-Paxton Photographic Collection, University of Kentucky.

To quote the enacted statute: “Every person going about begging, or staying in any street or other place to beg, shall, on the warrant of the presiding judge, of the county court, be sent to and kept at the poor house; if able to work, and a male, he may be proceeded against under the vagrant laws.” In theory, these institutions would be self-supporting through use of inmate labor. 

The Allen County Poorhouse as it appears today. Photo by J. Eric Thomason, 2020.

To give some insight into the makeup of the poorhouse population, the 1920 United States Federal Census enumeration of the Warren County poorhouse shows 18 residents including the superintendent and his wife and 16 “inmates” (as described by the enumerator).

The residents ranged in age from 46 to 90 with an average age of 69. There were nine male and seven female residents and 15 white and three black residents. Also, all residents were native born Kentuckians. Interestingly, the occupation of all residents was listed as “none”. 

Allen County’s 1920 demographics showed more of a family atmosphere with five single inmates and two distinct family units made up of six family members each. The average age of the Allen County residents was 42 with an all white population.    

The Warren County Poorhouse building, built around 1949. Photo by J. Eric Thomason, 2020.

Many of the county poor farms throughout the state utilized existing historic structures, and later constructed additional buildings to house these individuals. Residing in South Central Kentucky, I’m most familiar with the Warren County and Allen County poorhouses and luckily, they remain mostly extant. Both institutions had older historic structures situated alongside newer, more modern facilities. Unfortunately the older historic structures at both locations are gone leaving the recent buildings; both of these buildings have been converted to single-family dwellings. 

This mid-19th century house, now demolished, was the superintendent’s residence at the Warren County Poorhouse. The house was originally constructed by the family of Ward McDonald as a private residence.  Image from An Album of Early Warren County Landmarks. Irene Moss Sumpter, Jostens Publications, 1976. Clarksville, Tn.

Much research remains to be done on the poorhouse movement in Kentucky, its social origin, agricultural practices at these institutions, as well as its outcome and legacy.  Historic buildings on former poor farms still stand across the state – many have been repurposed, and even more torn down.  Local research is necessary to determine when county governments established their own poorhouses; this information is no doubt locked away in un-indexed county court and work orders.

I encourage you all to seek out your own county poorhouse if in Kentucky or determine if your own state authorized similar institutions. Their history is fascinating and no doubt, understudied.