Greene County Infirmary
| Greene County Infirmary | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Opened | 1829/1869 |
| Demolished | 1977 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Architect(s) | Washington Galloway |
| Location | Xenia, OH |
| Alternate Names |
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History[edit]
After opening its doors in 1829, the infirmary quickly outgrew their building, which resulted in the construction of a new building in 1840, replacing the smaller one that had previously been there. In the new building, the number of inmates continued to increase. In June of 1858, there was only one person admitted. By the following June, the admissions had increased to about 5 or 6 people a month. A third building was constructed in 1869, and a children's home was added in 1880. Future space concerns were solved by building additional wings to the building, rather than constructing an entirely new one.
Initially called the "Poor House," the original intention of the institution was to provide destitute Greene County residents with a place to live, and potentially a way to find work. This mission later expanded and they took in anyone who could not support themselves, be it caused by disability, sickness, or insanity. The name of the institution changed to reflect that, being called the "Greene County Home" and eventually the "Greene County Infirmary."
Those that stayed at the infirmary had to abide by a strict set of rules. Any violation of these rules resulted in their discharge from the institution. These rules included the fact that every patient had to do their daily chores. They weren’t allowed to swear, or to spit tobacco in the bedrooms. Visiting hours were open, but prohibited on the Sabbath. There was no smoking or drinking allowed. They also had to wash up before every meal. These are not unreasonable rules, especially for the time, and yet people were dismissed from the Infirmary for breaking them quite often. Individuals who were deemed "insane" or "idiotic" resided in a separate building on the infirmary's campus. The recovery process for some very ill inmates required extended stays.
The grand three-story infirmary building stood for 108 years in Xenia (1869-1977). Several different records were found before the building was torn down. They were given to Greenewood Manor. The Greene County Archives have some of these whimsical records.
