The Cheshire Connecticut Poor Farm

 

1640–1899: Early Foundations and the Brown Family

 Richard Reggie Smith Research/Editor Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0

The establishment of municipal support systems for residents without financial means began in Connecticut as early as 1640, when Hartford created a poorhouse near the Connecticut River. In Cheshire, this practice was formalized in 1850 when Hannah Brown sold her property on Country Club Road to the town for use as a poorhouse.

The town also maintained 15 acres of woodland across the street, located near what is now Scenic Court, to provide firewood for the facility. During this period, the farmhouse across the road belonged to William Brown, and a right-of-way provided access to the wooded acreage located near the orchards of Bishop’s Farm.

1900–1928: Construction and Physical Layout

In 1900, the town constructed a new house on the property. The original structure, which was situated to the right of the driveway entrance, was moved to the rear of the site. The 1900 house was built without fireplaces and lacked central heating and insulation. It was warmed by four stoves: one in the basement, two on the first floor, and one on the second floor.

The grounds included an icehouse, which was filled annually with ice harvested from a local pond that has since been removed, and a large woodshed. A separate structure, known as the “tramp house,” was built with a dirt floor, a central stove, and bunk beds built into the walls. While the windows were fitted with iron bars, the door was generally left unlocked.

1929–1935: The Buckland Management and the Great Depression

In December 1929, Frank Rice—whose home later became the Slater Funeral Home—hired Wilbur
Buckland to manage the Town Farm and oversee Cheshire’s road maintenance. Wilbur Buckland had previously worked in the dairy at the Gaylord sanitarium in Wallingford. He moved his family to the farm in late 1929, and his daughter, Barbara Buckland Busk, was born there in 1931.

During this era, Wilbur Buckland managed the town’s dirt and gravel roads using manual labor. Maintenance involved hand-shoveling sand and applying tar, a process that typically occurred just before the start of the school year.

The Town Farm served two populations: permanent town residents and transients.

• Town Residents: These individuals lived in the main house, which was partitioned to separate them from the Buckland family. The left front door led to the upstairs resident quarters, while the right door opened into the family kitchen.

• Transients: Often referred to as “tramps,” these men followed established routes through the region. To stay overnight, they were required to obtain a pass from First Selectman Birdsey Norton, who resided on Academy Road (the current site of Norton Brothers Farm).

Data from the 1930s illustrates the impact of the Great Depression on the facility:

• 1930: 148 transients

• 1932: 395 transients

• 1933: 471 transients (peak year)

• Mid-1930s: Numbers declined to between 200 and 300 annually.

Transients were provided meals but were not permitted to eat inside the main house; they typically ate in the woodshed. The farm remained largely self-sufficient due to its gardens and fruit trees.

1936–1944: Closure and Conversion to a Tourist Home

The implementation of Social Security in 1936 reduced the demand for municipal poor farms. In March 1936, a town meeting led by Selectmen Birdsey Norton, Huxley, and Murphy resulted in a vote to close the facility. The town spent the following two years selling equipment and relocating the remaining residents.

In 1938, Wilbur Buckland exercised his right of first refusal and purchased the property. The farm originally included land that extended along West Road and encompassed the current Legion Field; eight to ten acres were designated for the field at the time of purchase.

The Buckland family moved into the rear house and, in 1939, opened a “tourist home” or bed-and-breakfast. A sign was placed at the intersection of Route 10 and Country Club Road to attract visitors. In the early 1940s, the Cheshire Rotary Club was organized during dinner meetings held at the farm. In 1944, the house was updated with the installation of central heating.

1986–Present: Preservation and Historical Record

The Buckland family sold the majority of the property in 1986 but retained four acres and the primary buildings. The remaining portion was sold in 2001 to a builder who expanded the acreage of Legion Field. During the family's tenure, historical artifacts were discovered on-site, including a ball and chain and a straitjacket.

In 2001, Barbara Buckland Busk moved to Branford and entrusted a specific artifact—the original board from Town Farm Wagon No. 4—to her friend and Historical Society member Sally Blakely. The board was subsequently donated to the Cheshire Historical Society. This artifact, along with Barbara’s records and genealogical research, serves as the primary documentation for the site’s history as a center for town-managed social support.