The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-01-16
INDIANA HOUSE OF REFUGE.
Its Location and~present Condition.

A
Legislature to provide a suitable house for Ju-
yenile offenders. The eiflrt was carried so far
as pass into thecontrol OF the State farm
of one hundred acres, situated about four miles |
from I his city, on the Crawfords vile road and
| there the matter stopped, it appeared sperma /
neHtly. Upon the accession OF Governor Nor |
ton, this peremptorilys imposed Constitutional
duty was constantly and persisten.ly urged in
every message, and at the last meeting OF the /.
Legislature an act organizing Board of Con-
t'ol, providing for the immediate construction
OF suitable buildings. and appropristing the sum ,
of fifty thousand dollars for the purpose, was
passed, prepared and urged chiefly by Judge
Miles, Senator from Laporte county.
| By this act the Governor was empowered TO
sell the old farm, and entertain bids or propo-
sails for the location Ct The proposed Home. In
accordance with the law. Governor Baker nom
mated and the Senate confirmed. as Board Of
| Control. Char les T. Coffin, OF Wayne County.
j Judge a. O. DowEey, Of Ohio County, and
General Joseph L. Orr. of Laporte county; the
first named holds his office for six years, the
next for four and the last for TWO years; SO that
| q new member will come into place bienniaiiy.
The Governor also sold the farm already
held for S. 500 to William McGasiin, the SAM
1 cunt TO be paid in three annual payments
| This will be passed TO the credit Of the funds
| for the new home. 9 @saa IS fH2 lle
| s. Bids, for proposals for location, we're sdyer-
| tised for and some forty sites presented ma
1
nor personally, some member ofthe Board
The choice tiaally narrowed down to four-one
| at louisville, one in Marion county, known as
| Mars Hill one near South BeI.cvite. Hendricks
county, and the finally selected. These
| four were visited by the Governor, and the full
Board, and at a meeting held June 13, 1866
the Governor was requested to purchase the
! site near Planefeld. It will be Of interest 20
notice The principal acts of the Board OF Coz
/ troll chronologicaliy, l he first meeting was
he'd ut the Executive D partnent april Is
and an organization effected by the election OF
! Charles Z. Coffin President. and Judge
| Downey, Secretary The Board resolved to
visit the institutions at Chicago Illinois, and
at Cincinnati and Lancaster Ohio, hefoIe they
decided Cpon the general plan Of Ire Home.
The rext meeting held May 5, upon which
! date the reports Of the visit were made, and
visit to the four sites spok Ell Of agreed upon
| The next day the Board adopted what is
known the Family SYSTEM against the
| "Congreg gate, the Ill operation at Cmcin
| nail the Family being the plan Of the Ian
caster Reform Farm. They also agreed 10 bu,
| one hundred and sixty acres or more. of pro
| ductive land with elevated site for buildings
and without any railroad or pubic highway
running through the grounds. These, with a
central location were the requisites agreed upon
| and recommended to the Governor. AS before
| stated, the site near Plainfield decided up
| on on the 18th Of June. The Board agreed up
on plan for he Home, drawn by j. B. Cum
ningham, architect and engineer, which
braced ten family houses, a cen,ra! building
| and four workshops. and "n the 18th Of June
let, contract for the erection of three Of the
| family houses, one workshop one bake and one
milk house to Messrs. Hart & Mathew for the
sum of S27 ,776, the object being to husband
the appropriation, so that the Home might be
in successful operation against the next meeting
of the Legislature, to " ich body the plan of
the institution when completed could be prac
| tically demonstrated. In addition to these
buildings the Board also authorized the cree
ton Of barn ard bridge Wkie Lick,
which must be crossed in the approach to the
village, both to cost S1.8Ge. On the 9TH OF
August General Orr appointed Supernten.
| ent temporarily and the work Of building i'm
| mediateiy commenced. On the 2Sth Of August
| Frank B. Answorth was elected Superntend-
ent, and Mrs Amelia Ainsworth Matron, the
| former at salary of nine hundred, and the lat
| ter at three hundred dollars Per annum. Mr..
Ainsworth accepted the position, and gave bond
t in the sum Of ten thousand dollars with Judge
| Tden, of Cleveland surety. Mr.. Aims
worth has been before connected with the Lam
caster school, and is thoroughly conveEsant with
the Family System to be placed ia operation
| in this State, At the same meeting OF the
| Beard; the requisite subordinate officers and
employees were authorized. as will be seen in
/ the ordinance adopted for the government of
| the Home. The Board agreed to meet the first
| Tu esday Of each month. in pursuance of which
| order the meeting yesterday was held. This
resume embraces the interesting rrton of the
work of the Comm ssioners from their organza
ton TO Inc present date. sdt ssa OF vsE3
| sssrr.k. s so THE GROUNDS. --, INN ~a.,.s
| The site chosen for the location is BODY OF
| two hundred and eighteen acres of land, one
hundred and sixty acres formerly the property
| ofRobert Downward, and the balance belonging
to John Larrance. and is about three quarters
Of mile south from the Painfield station, on
| the Terre Haute Railroad, on the Mooresville
| pike. The east fork of Lick creek passes
| through it. The group of buildings stand
upon about twelve acres of the table land which
is some tw enty-six feet above the creek bottom
/ (Which at that point seldom owes fows) and
encircles beautiful artificial pond which stores
the water of a fine bold spring, running some
two hundred and sixty gallons peg minute.
| With a head Of about sixteen feet com na.
| ton of four Hanesom Rams, at prime COST OF
| six hundred and fifty dollars will give twenty
| eight thousand gallons, eighty two feet high
every twenty four hours, and the waste water
will give six-horse power eight hours per di-
| EN- for running such machinery as may be
needed in the workshops. ss aTs8 Goi&w
[ Nr. James R. Cunningham, the engineer and
| architect, designs to furnish the State an iso-
metrcsl perspective Of the whole buildings az
they will appear when completed This view
| will embrace another spring which supplies the
StaOte anu mix mouse. u fl,u pond IN 'front.' OF
the main building, and - basin fed fro ~ the
creek for the boys to bathein. the whole graded
and sodded and finely finished with play
grounds and fountains and graveIed walks,
bordered with foliage and flowers Pine
grounds will admit Of being transformed into
one of the most beautiful spots in the whole
State. They embody elnphatically the reaui
sites desired for by the Commissioners. ~ OF
Esvr. srf- -. THE BUILDINGS. r+t.. -, s.,Ff
A fhara E,,t tIr,o t.,,.Il
ings, one workshop, and two smaller houses,
for baking and such purposes. erected The
family houses are all alike. 50 by SO feet, exrer-
nal measure ent, and consist of basement