Wells County Home

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Wells County Home
Established 1864
Opened 1939 (Second Building)
Closed 2009
Current Status Preserved
Building Style Single Building
Architect(s) A.M. Strauss
Location Bluffton, IN
Architecture Style WPA
Alternate Names
  • Maplewood Estates




History[edit]

The Wells County Home was built in 1939 and served as a county home until 2009. The property contained the main house, a machine shed, a workshop, and a wash house. The property is now used a apartments. [1]


According to "A 1918 History of Wells County,",

"The County Infirmary and Orphans' Asylum is located a few miles southeast of Bluffton, on the southwest quarter of section 23, Harrison Township. The original farm of 156 acres was purchased in 1864, and the main building of the Infirmary, a substantial brick structure, was completed in 1875 at a cost of about $16,000. Various improvements have been made, including the installation of a modern steam heating plant, electric light plant, individual baths, and toilet accommodations within doors. In 1900 the large barn was destroyed by fire and a new building erected soon after at a cost of $6,000. The County Infirmary has accommodations for about sixty inmates."[2]

Images of Wells County Home[edit]

Main Image Gallery: Wells County Home



References[edit]

  1. Hassett, Kayla. "The County Home in Indiana : A Forgotten Response to Poverty and Disability." Diss. Ed. Vera A. Adams. Ball State U, 2013. Cardinal Scholar, 05 Apr. 2013. Web. 02 Dec 2014.
  2. 1918 History of Wells County