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Park at the new 4-H Center.
Amazing how time passes, places and people are forgotten. Such is the case at the new Harrison County 4-H Center on U.S. Route 19.
For some of us, we can remember our parents saying we will put them in the "Poor House". In truth there was a such place here in Harrison County.
Davis, Dorothy. Elizabeth Sloan, ed. History of Harrison County West Vigrinia. American Clarksburg, WV: Association of University Women, 1970.
84-85
“Before 1850 the only officials elected by the people to offices in the state of Virginia were the members of the state legislature and the “Overseers of the Poor.” A residence for the indigent of Harrison County was established, for the overseers advertised “On the first Saturday in February 1824, the Overseers of the poor of Harrison will rent to any person who will take the keeping and management of the Poor House on the most reasonable terms. (5 The Clarksburg Intelligencer, Jan. 3, 1824 (Lib. of Congress)) Soon after the couty court was given the power in 1850 to care for the poor, the magistrates in Harrison County began to investigate property on which to establish a “poor farm.” The court entered in the Order Book on August 11, 1858, a report of Waldo P. Goff that the court had purchased about 100 acres of land three miles from Clarksburg on the West Milford Road for $2,650 from Rawley W. Amos. (6 Harrison County, Va. Deed Book No. 44, p. 87) The county used the farmhouse on the property as a home for indigent adults until “the building now used (August 1910) for an infirmary at the poor farm of this county being in a bad state of repair and insufficient in size for present need, the court doth decide to build an infirmary.” (7 Harrison Co. WV, Court. Order Book, August 8, 1910) On October 19, 1910, George F. Randall, president of the court; John B. Strother and Colder F. bailey, commissioners, awarded the contract for the building to Ferguson and Brown, who submitted a low bid of $19,369. After adult “poor” had moved to the newly constructed brick structure, the farmhouse was the Harrison County Children’s Home for orphans until the 1930s, when federal assistance made the “poor farm” concept an anachronism. The county court sold the land and buildings to the Salerno Brothers for $150,000 at a sale in front of the courthouse on June 5, 1965. (9 Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram, June 6, 1965)
Contained within these grounds there was a Pauper Cemetery. The plot, just a little over an acre, is not marked. A few headstones and several sunken impressions are the only evidence of the graveyard existed. Until 2001 this land was owned privately with no records of a cemetery in the deed. Since this time, the land has been donated back to the Harrison County.
Park at the new 4-H Center.
A cache was placed by knightmare_duck and pbump to remember those forgotten on the hill as time passed. When walking up the hill, stay on the path. The Posted signs as you walk up are for the areas on either side on the trail. This cache is placed with permission, but no do not stray into private property. Please be careful as you search for the cache. There has been some cleanup taking place. As always, please be respectful during your visit and do not attempt this cache at night. The container is a 40cal ammo can full of swag. Enjoy the hunt and this forgotten place.
A special Thank You to barayamal for helping research the cemetery and the Poor Farm.
CONGRATS to MR.P for the FTF & WVcachepirate for a close Second To Find!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Xrrc Ybbxvat!