Scott County Heritage Center & Museum
Indiana State law required all counties to have a Poor Farm. First there was a Poor Farm north of Lexington on Getty Road, but after the county seat was moved to Scottsburg in 1874, the poor farm was needed within a mile of the courthouse. It was a frame building, but later replaced in 1892 with the present day brick building, which now houses The Scott County Heritage Center & Museum.
The Poor Farm was a working farm and was self-sufficient. The county commissioners were in charge of seeing that the building was kept in decent shape for the residents. Each resident had a job to do on the farm.
The Scott County Heritage Center & Museum is in the process of gathering more history of the Scott County Poor Farm. If you have any information to share about the Poor Farm, call 812.752.1050 or email: contact@schcam.org or just stop by and tell us what you have!