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1882 US Hwy 27
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The Randolph County Infirmary used to be a farm in 1851, before it was transitioned multiple times by varying needs. It went from a farm to a home/house to a poor house, to an asylum, and is now used as a haunted house used for ghost hunters, and you can stay the night for a price. It was originally purchased by Ira Adamson in 1851 for around $3,200.
“In 1851 Ira Adamson became the owner of a farm to help out the poor community to benefit them so they could have a place to stay.” The farm consisted of 225 acres of land and was confirmed by the county commissioners in their March terms of 1851. The farm, which was around $1,200, was bought in the manner of two one thousand dollar installments. The farm reached about $3,200 with no interest.
“After buying it, the farm was then transitioned into a poor farm for people who were unable to work, mentally and physically disabled people, orphans, single mothers, and elderly people.”In the beginning the building housed 13 people/inmates, but in 1853, there was a new wooden building and it housed 16 inmates. If the residents staying were able to, they would be able to do work inside and out to personalize/ upgrade their cells.” Later in the same year of 1853, the wooden building would go down in flames; they would have to start building a new, improved, and stronger place for the people/inmates. In 1855, a brick, two story building was constructed to act in place of the previous one.
“The new building built in 1898-99 (which is still the current structure) was nearly 50,000 square feet. It housed six large wards, several private rooms, laundry, kitchen, separate dining rooms for women and men; as well as an outside property that included a pump house, barn, hay barn, machine shed, garage/cell house, two other garages, and chicken house within 350 of those acres; there is also a cemetery located on the premises.”
The Randolph County Infirmary had an important program for religious people. “They were able to hold religious service every Sunday; they had a temporary Chapel; they also had Christian workers come in for their “Sunday Service”. This was very important because inmates weren’t able to leave so they were able to bring them to the inmates.” The Infirmary at one point had 26 male employees and 8 female employees.
While the building has an interesting past, many bad things have happened there as well. There are up to 50 unmarked graves at the asylum and that doesn't include the marked graves they have/had in their cemetery. “Proposal in 1938 by descendant of John Neff sought to erect a fence around several of the oldest Neff family gravesites. Historical Society reset as many headstones as could be found in 1985.” There was a range of ways people died at the infirmary, from giving birth to suicide. There were many burials for a place that's not meant to be a cemetery, but had one put up for the many deaths that occurred during the history of the Randolph County Asylum/Infirmary.
“In 1851 Ira Adamson became the owner of a farm to help out the poor community to benefit them so they could have a place to stay.” The farm consisted of 225 acres of land and was confirmed by the county commissioners in their March terms of 1851. The farm, which was around $1,200, was bought in the manner of two one thousand dollar installments. The farm reached about $3,200 with no interest.
“After buying it, the farm was then transitioned into a poor farm for people who were unable to work, mentally and physically disabled people, orphans, single mothers, and elderly people.”In the beginning the building housed 13 people/inmates, but in 1853, there was a new wooden building and it housed 16 inmates. If the residents staying were able to, they would be able to do work inside and out to personalize/ upgrade their cells.” Later in the same year of 1853, the wooden building would go down in flames; they would have to start building a new, improved, and stronger place for the people/inmates. In 1855, a brick, two story building was constructed to act in place of the previous one.
“The new building built in 1898-99 (which is still the current structure) was nearly 50,000 square feet. It housed six large wards, several private rooms, laundry, kitchen, separate dining rooms for women and men; as well as an outside property that included a pump house, barn, hay barn, machine shed, garage/cell house, two other garages, and chicken house within 350 of those acres; there is also a cemetery located on the premises.”
The Randolph County Infirmary had an important program for religious people. “They were able to hold religious service every Sunday; they had a temporary Chapel; they also had Christian workers come in for their “Sunday Service”. This was very important because inmates weren’t able to leave so they were able to bring them to the inmates.” The Infirmary at one point had 26 male employees and 8 female employees.
While the building has an interesting past, many bad things have happened there as well. There are up to 50 unmarked graves at the asylum and that doesn't include the marked graves they have/had in their cemetery. “Proposal in 1938 by descendant of John Neff sought to erect a fence around several of the oldest Neff family gravesites. Historical Society reset as many headstones as could be found in 1985.” There was a range of ways people died at the infirmary, from giving birth to suicide. There were many burials for a place that's not meant to be a cemetery, but had one put up for the many deaths that occurred during the history of the Randolph County Asylum/Infirmary.
Hayden VanZant, Azarih Guerrero, Buckingham, Jalee Livingston
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