Ashland County Infirmary
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| Established | 1849 |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1850/1897 |
| Closed | 2009 |
| Demolished | 1975 |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Architect(s) | George W. Urie and Sylvester Alger |
| Location | Ashland, OH |
| Alternate Names |
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History[edit]
In 1850, the first county infirmary was opened at a cost of $4,000. There are no known photographs of the building but it was a two-story brick home. Male residents farmed the land and the women canned fruits and vegetables. There was also a slaughter house and enough pork and beef were stored in the winter and chickens were killed and used as needed. A new building was constructed in 1897 to replace the original structure that was deemed unsafe. Vernon Redding, who also designed the recently demolished middle school and several churches and homes in Ashland, was the architect. The woodwork was from the late Victorian period. Theo McNeely completed the carpentry work which also included six ornate, oak mirrored mantle pieces.
By 1974, the building was deemed a “maintenance nightmare” by the Ashland County Commissioners and the state fire marshal dubbed it a fire trap and stated it had to be closed. The third county home building known as the Heartland Home was built at a cost of $1.2 million after a bond issue was passed. It was dedicated on Nov. 9, 1975. Many Ashlanders objected to the “sterile” look of the new building though because it lacked the previous “homey atmosphere.” Due to budget reasons, the facility was permanently closed in 2009 and the building is now used for county offices.
