Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge |
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| Refuge pour les pauvres du Comté de Wellington | |
The main building as of 2009
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| Area | Fergus, Ontario, Canada |
| Built | 1876–1877 |
| Built for | Wellington County Council |
| Architect | Victor Stewart, C. J. Soule, John Taylor |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate |
| Designated | 1995 |
The Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge in Fergus, Ontario, is Canada's oldest surviving building that was once a "poorhouse." A poorhouse was a place where people who were struggling financially could live and work.
Built in 1877, this site helped people in need and operated as a farm until 1947. Later, it became a home for older adults until 1971. In the 1980s, the building was changed into the Wellington County Museum and Archives. In 1995, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This was because it shows how people thought about poverty in the 1800s. It also shows the beginnings of Canada's system to help people in need, called the social safety net.
Contents
History of the Poorhouse
During the mid-to-late 1800s, Ontario changed from a farming area to one with more factories. This made it hard for many people, especially older adults, to find work and earn money.
A group of citizens pushed for a law to help. So, in 1837, the House of Industry Act was passed. This law created places to help people who were poor or sick and could not support themselves. It also helped those who were able to work, as long as they "diligently employed in labour."
In 1866, a new law said that all counties with many people had to build such places. But many counties did not like this idea. So, in 1867, the rule was changed. Only nine poorhouses were built under these laws. The Wellington County House of Industry was the fourth one. It is the oldest one still standing today. It is also the only poorhouse built before 1903 that still exists.
The land for the House was bought by the Wellington County Council in 1876. It was a 50-acre plot between Fergus and Elora, Ontario. About 30 acres were used for farming. People living there, called residents, would work on the farm to help support themselves. More land was bought in 1886 and 1937. This made the property 102 acres in total.
The House of Industry was first built for 65 residents. It was meant for "virtuous and respectable poor" people. In its first 30 years, over a thousand people came to live there. Most were older working-class men who had done simple jobs before. In 1893, a hospital area was added. This was suggested by the House's doctor, Dr. Abraham Groves. It helped to care for the growing number of older and sick residents.
Life at the poorhouse was very simple. Rooms for residents had only a bed, a small table, and a chair. In 1877, the House spent less than 76 cents per week to care for each resident. Residents also had strict rules. They could not leave the property without permission. Visitors were only allowed for half a day, once a week. Married couples could not live together. They were housed in separate parts of the building. The House was in a rural area, which made residents feel even more cut off from their families.
The House hoped to pay for itself by farming. But this did not work well. Most residents were old or sick. Young, strong men were not usually allowed to live there. So, outside workers had to be hired to help with the farm and the House. In 1889, an inspector noted that it was hard to tell how much money residents' work made. He said, "Many do nothing and others do so little." It is thought that in 1911, only 14% of the costs for Ontario's Houses of Refuge came from farm work.
The House of Industry worked as a poorhouse for 70 years, from 1877 to 1947. Then, it was renamed the Wellington County Home for the Aged. In 1955, a large addition was built at the back. This gave more space for the older residents. The Home for the Aged closed in 1971. Between 1987 and 1988, the main building was fixed up. It was turned into the Wellington Museum and Archives. The museum now has exhibits about the House of Industry and local history.
In 1995, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge. It was named a National Historic Site. This was because it shows how people in the 1800s thought about helping the poor. It also played a part in starting Canada's social welfare system. Plus, the original buildings and land are still well-preserved.
Building Design and Features
Outside the Building
The main building is a two-story structure made of stone masonry. It was designed in an Italianate style by architect Victor Stewart in 1876. Stewart left town during construction, so local architect C. J. Soule finished the project. The building was completed in 1877. It sits on a raised base on a hilltop, looking over the Grand River.
The building has five parts that are the same on both sides. The front and end parts stick out. This design was popular for public buildings in the British Empire at the time. A small tower, called a belfry, is on the middle part. The outside has a fancy cornice (a decorative molding) with many brackets. The windows have rounded tops, called segmental arches. The front and end parts have decorative stone blocks, known as quoining. Stone lines, called sill courses, separate the two stories. The roof is flat with deep overhangs. This design was more for looks than for Canadian weather.
The front and sides of the building look much like they did in 1877. A porch was added to the main entrance in 1907. In 1893, a hospital wing was added to the back-east side. It looked similar to the original building. Another addition was built at the back in 1955. This was to better house residents when it was an old age home. The back of the building, including the 1950s addition, is now mostly hidden. A two-story addition was built in the 1980s. This was when the building became the Wellington Museum and Archives. This newer part looks modern with its concrete outside.
West of the main house are several farm buildings. Most of these 19th-century buildings have been saved. Only a hog pen and tool shed were taken down in the 1970s. A timber-frame barn was built in 1877 by John Taylor from Elora. This barn was key to the poorhouse's farming. Dairy cows lived on the lower level, and hay was stored upstairs. The barn's roof is held up by strong wooden frames called king-post trusses. Its walls are made of vertical wooden boards. A root cellar is at the south end of the barn. A silo was added to the east end in 1914. A storage shed and a driveshed from 1888 are also nearby.
A cemetery was started in 1888 on the east side of the poorhouse grounds. It was used until 1946. About 271 residents of the House were buried there. Their graves were marked with simple wooden crosses. In 1951, a stone monument was put up in the cemetery. Evergreen trees were also planted. In 2013, museum staff fixed up the cemetery. It was then opened to the public.
Inside the Building
When the site was a poorhouse, the middle part of the building had a nice two-story home for the keeper. Separate areas for men and women residents were on each side. These areas were like dorms with very few furnishings. The basement of the building had the kitchen and laundry rooms.
The inside structure stayed mostly the same until it became a museum. For the museum, a two-story addition was built. This connected the main building to the hospital wing. The main stairs in the middle part had to be moved. Two stairwells in the side wings were removed because they did not meet modern building rules. The doors that separated the keeper's home from the side wings were also taken out.
