The Washington County Poor Farm: A Public History Project
Abstract
In 2023 Washington County, TN officials asked for public input for future use and development of an obscure piece of property. This farmland, of which many county residents are unaware of the historical significance, was once known as The Washington County Poor Farm. This research is a public history project that aims to retell the story of the Poor Farm and the impoverished residents who lived, worked, and died on the farm. Poor Farm residents’ stories told through case studies will be an important addition to local history and highlight the social and economic conditions in Washington County and across Tennessee that created the need for the statewide Poor Farm system. Indeed, paupers, including those deemed insane, idiotic, crippled, or orphaned, were residents of the poor farm over a period of years (1850?-2004). The farm is quiet now, and invasive trees cover a small plot of land containing the unmarked graves of over a hundred and forty former poor farm residents, their names mostly forgotten or lost. This research utilizes primary documents in local archives, county records, secondary accounts of the Poor Farm in newspapers, magazines, and scholarly publications to uncover the hidden history of the Poor Farm and its residents. Interviews with local historians offer new perspectives on the local history of the Poor Farm. In collaboration with the Jonesborough Heritage Alliance this research project offers the following: 1) a curated digital archive of newspaper articles of the Poor Farm, 2) a written historical account of the Poor Farm that will inform a curated exhibit through the Jonesborough Heritage Alliance.
Start Time
15-4-2026 1:30 PM
End Time
15-4-2026 4:30 PM
Room Number
Culp Ballroom 316
Poster Number
41
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Subtype
Posters - Competitive
Presentation Category
Arts and Humanities
Student Type
Undergraduate Student
Faculty Mentor
Rebecca Fletcher
The Washington County Poor Farm: A Public History Project
Culp Ballroom 316
In 2023 Washington County, TN officials asked for public input for future use and development of an obscure piece of property. This farmland, of which many county residents are unaware of the historical significance, was once known as The Washington County Poor Farm. This research is a public history project that aims to retell the story of the Poor Farm and the impoverished residents who lived, worked, and died on the farm. Poor Farm residents’ stories told through case studies will be an important addition to local history and highlight the social and economic conditions in Washington County and across Tennessee that created the need for the statewide Poor Farm system. Indeed, paupers, including those deemed insane, idiotic, crippled, or orphaned, were residents of the poor farm over a period of years (1850?-2004). The farm is quiet now, and invasive trees cover a small plot of land containing the unmarked graves of over a hundred and forty former poor farm residents, their names mostly forgotten or lost. This research utilizes primary documents in local archives, county records, secondary accounts of the Poor Farm in newspapers, magazines, and scholarly publications to uncover the hidden history of the Poor Farm and its residents. Interviews with local historians offer new perspectives on the local history of the Poor Farm. In collaboration with the Jonesborough Heritage Alliance this research project offers the following: 1) a curated digital archive of newspaper articles of the Poor Farm, 2) a written historical account of the Poor Farm that will inform a curated exhibit through the Jonesborough Heritage Alliance.
