Over the Road to the Poorhouse: Poverty and Public Care in History

Suitable for Schools · Grades 9–12

Long before modern social safety nets existed, almshouses served as the primary public institutions for caring for the poor, elderly, infirm, and others living on society’s margins. Yet these institutions, once a familiar presence in every country, have been largely written out of our collective memory, their records scattered and their stories untold. This program examines that lost history, with a focus on the Delmarva and the land bordering the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River. Drawing on archival records, photographs, and newspaper accounts, it examines how earlier generations understood and attempted to address the needs of vulnerable people in their communities.