Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge

Photos by Alan L Brown - May, 2009

Plaque Location

The County of Wellington
The Township of Centre Wellington
Near the entrance door of the Wellington County Museum and Archives on County Road 18, street number 536.
Look for the green arrow on the interactive map below.

View Larger Map

Latitude and Longitude Coordinates

43.692917 -80.400067

Plaque Text

This is the earliest surviving example of an important 19th-century institution, the government-supported poorhouse. Erected in 1877, it was the shelter of last resort for the homeless and destitute, who traded spartan accommodations for domestic or agricultural labour. With changing attitudes and the introduction of alternative forms of social assistance, its function shifted to the care of the elderly and infirm, and additions were built to respond to their special needs. Closed in 1971, this building and its history illustrate the Victorian roots of the 20th-century social security system in Canada.

Related Toronto plaque pages
House of Industry
House of Providence

More
Information

More
Other Buildings

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