Craig County Poor Farm

After the Revolutionary War, care for people facing poverty in Virginia ceased to be the responsibility of Anglican parishes and instead was managed by county-appointed “overseers of the poor.” Craig County, formed in 1851, initially assisted the poor outside of institutions but in 1892 established a 250-acre working farm nere here as a residence for those unable to support themselves, often because of age or disability. Residents provided labor as they were able. The property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, included three cottages, a superintendent’s house, outbuildings, and a cemetery. The county sold the property in 1921, opening a new poor farm north of New Castle.