Every day we learn new things about how the various rooms and areas were used in historic former Greene County Poor Farm (also known as the Almshouse and later as the County Home). As we process new information, it often inspires us to rearrange rooms, and set up new spaces. We are bringing this building back to life as a living testimony to the many people who lived and died within these walls.
A recent discovery was that the second floor, towards the back of the building, was an infirmary and likely contained a doctor’s office and other treatment rooms. Recently, we installed a doctor’s office in that area. Our collection holds the contents of the office of Dr. Hiram C. Scott. Scott served as the doctor at the poor farm in the early 20th century. While the items we have are from his private practice and weren’t used at the poorhouse, they lend an authentic layer of history to our recreated doctor’s office on the second floor.
Besides bringing more authentic rooms back to the poorhouse, we are also presently working on expanding the suite of children’s rooms. What was once a former storage room for the museum was cleaned out and the items moved. We plan to add a nursery with a nanny’s room. This set of rooms will provide a glimpse of how a large home of the late Victorian Era may have been used. They will also pay a tribute to the Children’s Home that was formerly on Jefferson Road that is no longer standing.
For 2024, we will also expand our railroad exhibit. Currently, a room in the first floor is dedicated to the Waynesburg & Washington Railroad, and over the winter and into 2024, we will complete a second room that featuring artifacts from other railroads that serviced various parts of the region, including the B&O, Pennsylvania Railroad, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, the Monongahela Railroad and more.
Please keep an eye out on our social media and website for more updates and progress photos, and join us for our open season starting at the end of April in 2025. Also, if you wish to contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of our building and collections, you can easily donate to the historical society through the online store on our website. Every little bit helps as we continue to maintain and preserve our historic building and our amazing collections!
