Van Buren County Poorhouse Museum reopens following June 2022 storm that damaged building

By Paul Garrod
Staff Writer

HARTFORD – Following a June 2022 wind and rainstorm that damaged the Van Buren County Poorhouse Museum, a grand re-opening of the museum, the 140th anniversary of the poorhouse building and the 50th anniversary of the Van Buren County Historical Society, was held Sunday, June 23, at the museum, 58471 Red Arrow Highway, Hartford. More than 100 people attended the event, which was marked by a State Tribute to the museum, presented by State Rep. Pauline Wendzel and State Sen. Aric Nesbitt.
The tribute read in part: “We believe that the preservation of local history is an essential component of any strong community, and we commend all of the past and future contributors to the Van Buren County Historical Society who have selflessly given of their time and resources to maintaining the historical records, artifacts and buildings of Van Buren County . We are grateful for their service over many decades and look forward with them to celebrating many future accomplishments.”
In 1866, Van Buren County purchased a wooden frame farmhouse that sat on 173 acres in Hartford Township for use as the county’s poorhouse. In 1884, the original building was destroyed by fire after which it was replaced with a brick structure. Additions were made in 1910 and 1920, resulting in the 44-room county museum.
According to a history of the poor house, compiled by museum volunteers, “Abled-bodied inmates earned their keep by assisting with the work required to operate a residential facility and farm. Typically, the women worked indoors on domestic tasks (housekeeping, food preparation and preservation) as well as operating a laundry in the basement. The men worked outdoors (tending livestock and crops) and on building maintenance. The efforts of these residents resulted in the poorhouse being nearly self-supporting until it was closed in 1952 due to changes in the state’s support system for the poor.”
In 1929, a nearby outbuilding, known as “The Pest House,” which had been used as quarantine space for inmates with communicable diseases, began serving as the county’s first public hospital with 12 beds, and expanding to 41 beds before it closed in 1959. In the ensuing years, parts of the poorhouse and infirmary buildings continued to be used as office and storage space for administering the new social service programs. New construction of buildings nearby saw the use of the county poorhouse and infirmary steadily diminish before it finally closed.
In 1972, the Van Buren County Historical Society went before the Van Buren County Commissioners and asked to lease the poorhouse building to the group, who envisioned the building as a county museum. Two years later, in 1974, it opened as a county museum.
In a social media post following the event, Sandra Merchant, president of the Van Buren County Historical Society, said, “We want to thank everyone for the fabulous re-opening of the Van Buren County Historical Museum! What a great turnout! We cannot thank all of our donors and volunteers enough. The members of the Historical Society went over and beyond in making this possible. Thank you to everyone who had a part in making it possible.”
Museum summer hours are Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.