The history of the District Home and farm

Goats now graze the hills above the former District Home and farm, now privately owned, on Duke Road near the South River. A decade ago this regional and state-funded institution was home to 151 residents, 91 in the nursing home and 60 in assisted living.
Jerry Layman, of Waynesboro, administered this facility between 1971 and 1997. District Homes and earlier county almshouses are examples of how Virginia and its counties and cities once provided for those who were indigent, elderly and impaired.
The role of the state sharing responsibility for the care of the indigent and disabled evolved from England. In early England, the indigent were licensed to beg at specific locations.
The clergy assisted an indigent adult in his home, placed him with another family to provide basic necessities and supervised indigent children “bound-out” to other families or apprenticed to a craftsman for training.
By 1601, English lawmakers enacted the “Poor Law.” This act established almshouses for the indigent and procedures for apprenticing poor children to master craftsmen for training. Families were responsible for an indigent relative.
Legal residence in a parish was required to obtain relief. In 1646, the English established workhouses for the poor with their incomes subsidized to provide a “living wage.” Those who were unable to work were placed in almshouses.
By 1738, the Virginia colony under British rule approved the election of 12 vestrymen, two of whom served with a minister as church wardens and overseers for religion and the welfare of church members, adults and children. Vestrymen were elected in Augusta County by 1747. Responsibilities included overseeing welfare administration and arranging pauper burials.
Six parish almshouses were constructed between 1756 and 1772, including one in Augusta County, which was completed in 1767. The parish almshouse, constructed in Augusta on a 100-acre tract beside Christian’s Creek, was purchased from Sampson and George Matthews for 40 pounds in November 1766.
After the United States declared its independence from England, Virginia made civil officials responsible for the indigent. By 1785, courts were granted authority to divide counties into districts and elect three freeholders to oversee relief efforts.
Later, a supervisor was named by the Circuit Court judge and authorized to provide facilities for indigents. Leased farms produced garden vegetables and cattle consumed by almshouse residents.
Almshouses became places where society’s indigent were located, whether poor, impaired, blind or elderly. These almshouses and farms provided a place where indigent persons could live and help earn their support. However, these facilities were not equipped to care for those who required continual medical care and were unable to work.
By 1929, 68 Virginia counties had eliminated almshouses in preference of consolidated District Homes.
The District Home in Waynesboro was constructed between 1927 and 1929 to provide “fit surroundings” for the elderly, infirm, blind and chronically ill. The home served Augusta, Albemarle, Alleghany, Bath and Rockbridge counties and the cities of Waynesboro, Staunton and Charlottesville.
The home, located on a 143-acre farm, had chickens, hogs, cattle and a garden. Between 1929 and the 1990s, residents increased from 68 to 151.
As Medicaid and other assistance programs developed, Virginia’s focus changed from government institutional care to assistance programs provided in individual homes and private facilities.
The local District Home was closed by the late 1990s.
K.W. Stanley is a Waynesboro resident, historian and TNV correspondent. Contact him at .