Broome County Poor House
| Broome County Poor House | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1833 |
| Opened | 1870 |
| Closed | 1967 |
| Demolished | 2010 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Location | Dickinson, NY |
| Alternate Names |
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History[edit]
Built in 1870, what later became known as the Alms House, served as the administration building of Broome County's Poor Farm, an institution established in 1830 to house the indigent, handicapped, aged, widows, orphans, unwed mothers, "illegitimate" children, and pauper immigrants of the community. Occupying 130 acres of land, the Poor Farm would expand into a complex of seventeen buildings. By 1868 the patient population would exceed 1500. By the late 1960's, due to a combination of dwindling population and expansion requirements by neighboring Broome Community College, the Poor Farm was closed. The building was then used for college classrooms.
The Alms House served the Broome County community and stood as an icon at the gateway to Binghamton for well over a century. In 2010, still structrually sound, and although viable plans for adaptive reuse consistent with its surroundings had been proposed, the Broome Community College Board of Trustees had the Alms House demolished. On February 5, 2010, over a period of four hours this historic structure, having stood testament for 140 years to a community's humanitarian spirit, was reduced to land-fill.
