I live in Rockbridge County above a farm that was originally the Poor
Farm and I live on Poor House Road.  Each county had a poor house and I
have a great-aunt who was committed by the family (MY FAMILY I'm
ashamed to say) - actally, her sister, because she was "slow" and her
guardian, an uncle of hers, had died and her father had died and no-one
in the family would care for her.  This poor farm was in Botetourt
County.  She became hysterical according to records, with delusions of
a man trying to harm her (I doubt they were delusions) and so then her
sister, committed her to Western State Sanitorium in Staunton and told
the family that she had died.  This was around 1940.  I think that the
Poor Farm also ceased operating sometime around then.  Most Poor Farms
ceased operation when Social Security came into being.  I was able to
get her medical records from Western State as I was able to locate her
"closest living relative" and they gave permission.  The records relate
that she was healthy and perfectly capable of living with a relative,
not delusional or mad, and did not need to be incarcerated.  She spent
her life there entertaining and caring for other patients.  She died
from a fall in the late 60's.

The Rockbridge County Poor Farm was bought by a family in the early
1900's who lived in the Superintendent's house.  The tenant houses are
now gone but a few foundations remain.  This farm (originally about 600
acres but now about 457 acres) was just sold to a developer from
Northern Virginia and is being subdivided into 33 parcels that normal
residents in Rockbridge County will not be able to afford to buy.    We
are hopeful that the parcel containing the original superintendent's
house will be bought and lived in.  There is also a record book in the
W&L Library from the farm and it notates what crops were raised and the
prices they brought.

Patte Wood
Lexington, Virginia.

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