page_title: Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge / History
caption_attribution_description: English: From https://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/9F67C433-BAA2-4DD5-BEF5-268189122520&#160;: ph 9280 one male inmate and 2 female inmates standing arm in arm in front of the wash-house at the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge
context_page_description: The Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, located in Fergus, Ontario, is the oldest surviving state-supported poorhouse in Canada. Constructed in 1877, the site operated as a poorhouse and farm until 1947, and as an old age home until 1971. In the 1980s, the building was repurposed to house the Wellington County Museum and Archives. The Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995 based on its illustration of 19th century attitudes towards poverty and the origins of Canada's social safety net.
context_section_description: During the middle to late 19th century, Ontario's transition from a predominantly agricultural to an industrialized economy left many residents, particularly the elderly, in precarious financial positions. Following pressure from a citizen's committee, the House of Industry Act was passed by the provincial legislature in 1837, officially establishing institutions that would provide assistance for the poor and ill who were unable to support themselves, as well as able-bodied indigents — provided that they were "diligently employed in labour". The Municipal Institutions Act of  1866 required all counties with populations above 20,000 to construct such institutions, but this decision was strongly opposed and an 1867 amendment negated this requirement. Only nine poorhouses were established under this legislation: the Wellington County House of Industry was the fourth and the oldest still standing, as well as the only surviving poorhouse constructed prior to 1903.
  The land for the House was purchased by the Wellington County Council in 1876. Of the 50 acre (20 ha) plot situated between the towns of Fergus and Elora, Ontario, 30 acres (12 ha) were dedicated to agricultural activities, where residents (then called inmates) would work to earn their keep. In 1886 and 1937, additional land was purchased, expanding the lot to its current size of 102 acres (41 ha).
  The House of Industry was initially designed to accommodate 65 residents, offering admission to the "virtuous and respectable poor". Over a thousand people were admitted to the institution during its first 30 years of operation, predominantly older, working-class men who had previously been unskilled labourers. At the urging of the House's physician, Dr. Abraham Groves, a hospital wing was added in 1893 to accommodate increasing numbers of elderly and infirm inmates.
  Accommodations at the poorhouse were spartan. Residents' rooms were furnished only with beds, nightstands and straight-back chairs. In 1877, the House was reported to spend less than 76 cents per week on the care of each inmate. Inmates were also bound to strict rules: they were forbidden from leaving the property without permission from the keeper of the house, and visitations were restricted to half a day, once per week. Married couples were not permitted to cohabit and were housed in separate wings of the building. The rural location of the House (common for Ontario houses of industry) served to further isolate inmates from their friends and family.
  The House's goal of financing itself through agricultural production proved unsuccessful, as the inmates were largely elderly or in ill health; able-bodied young men were deemed unworthy of assistance. It became necessary to hire outside workers to maintain the house and farm. In 1889, the House's inspector remarked on the revenue produced by inmates' labour that "No estimate has been made and it would be very hard to furnish any that is reliable. Many do nothing and others do so little." It is estimated that in 1911, only 14% of the operational costs of the Ontario Houses of Refuge were covered by agricultural work.
  The House of Industry operated as a poorhouse for seventy years from its 1877 opening until 1947, when it was renamed and repurposed as the Wellington County Home for the Aged. In 1955, a large addition was made to the rear of the building, providing additional accommodations for the home's residents. The Home for the Aged closed in 1971, and between 1987 and 1988 the main building was extensively renovated to convert it to the Wellington Museum and Archives. The museum now hosts exhibits pertaining to the House of Industry and local history.
  In 1995, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge as a National Historic Site. This designation was based on the House's demonstration of 19th century attitudes towards the poor, its role in the genesis of Canada's social welfare system, and the preservation of the site's original buildings and landscape.
caption: Three inmates of the House of Industry, circa 1900
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