Norfolk County – December 8, 2015 – “We will never know the name of every individual who was interred in the Poorhouse Burial Ground but in placing this record we recognize them for the contribution they made, their humanity and for the lives they lived.”
These words are part of the inscription on a Storyboard recently installed in Simcoe. The Storyboard recognizes the numerous individuals buried near the site of the former County Industrial Farm. This site is the final resting place of many County residents who resided at the Farm, more commonly known as the Poorhouse/County Home.
Located on County property northeast of the Norfolk County Court House, the Storyboard was designed by the Robert Judd Design Company of Waterford. The Poorhouse/County Home was originally built in 1868. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1877. A significant portion of the County’s homeless, orphaned, needy, elderly and mentally ill lived there.
The poorhouse system represented the beginnings of government funded social assistance programs that emerged in the 20th century. However, poorhouse residents, or inmates as they were called, experienced restricted freedoms and punitive rules more typical of the Victorian era.
The Cemetery was designated as a Norfolk County heritage site in 2007. It is also recognized as an official cemetery within Norfolk County. Extensive research by Bill Terry and other members of the Norfolk Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) has identified 218 persons who died at the facility and were buried in the area surrounding the building. The burials are poorly represented by a collection of 28 markers. These markers were dug out of a wooded area and laid flat in a cement pad in the early 1970’s. The Storyboard is situated beside the markers.
Mary Caughill, Chair of the Norfolk Heritage Committee, leads a seven member committee that offers advice to Council on Heritage matters. Ms. Caughill says an observance will take place when the site is more accessible after the weather improves in the spring.
“Our Committee along with former members of the Norfolk Branch of the OGS believe it is important to recognize the people who are buried at the site and how their stories are part of our heritage,” notes Ms. Caughill.
Simcoe Councillor Peter Black sits as the County representative on the Heritage Committee. Black has high praise for the Norfolk Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society who advocated for the monument and acknowledgement and preservation of the burial site.
“Our Committee has been working with Bill Terry of the OGS. Mr. Terry will be contributing historical information for the spring event to ensure that those buried here aren’t forgotten,” adds the Ward 5 Councillor.
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For further information contact: Melissa Collver Manager, Heritage & Culture, Norfolk County Ph: 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK (1347)
